The Color of Climate
Detroiters Accuse the State of Michigan of Environmental Racism
After decades of exposure to nauseating pollution, activists and residents filed a civil rights complaint against the state
This is The Color of Climate, a weekly column from OneZero exploring how climate change and other environmental issues uniquely impact the future of communities of color.
The U.S. Ecology hazardous waste facility is located in a predominantly Black area in Detroit. Residents say that fumes and odors from the facility give them nausea and cause appetite loss. Dust from the plant aggravates their asthma. They keep the windows of their homes closed to keep the air pollution out. They can’t enjoy fresh air.
The residents have been dealing with pollution from the facility for decades, but the coronavirus pandemic put a spotlight on the injustices they have faced. Black, Latinx, and Indigenous people have been among the hardest hit by the coronavirus — in part because their communities are disproportionately exposed to pollution. Before the pandemic, they were already exposed to dirty air, which caused respiratory diseases that increased their likelihood of experiencing severe Covid-19. They didn’t have access to clean water for…
