Environmental
JUSTICE
Oftentimes we see environmental work ask, ‘What are we doing to the land?’ Environmental Justice, in contrast, is asking, ‘What are we doing to people and the land. Also, how is the land being contaminated in such a way that is poisoning the very stewards of that community?’ Environmental Justice is about understanding the marginalizing impact of environmental contaminants surrounding communities.” - La'Meshia Whittington, Deputy Director of Programs Companies have been dumping hazardous waste in North Carolina’s Cape Fear River for upwards of sixty years. In the 1960s, Fayetteville Works opened its doors, then owned by Dupont and now owned by Chemours. The factory began producing common household chemicals containing perfluorinated and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, that were used in everything from non-stick pans to pizza boxes to furniture. Since then, scientists have discovered these “forever chemicals” don’t break down in nature, accumulate in the body, and are linked to serious health issues like high cholesterol, cancer, and birth defects. The communities most acutely impacted by PFAS are predominantly rural, poor, and Black. They also find themselves on the front line of natural disasters like hurricanes, flooding, and other weather phenomena connected to climate change. The similar impact of PCPs in Warren County spurred the birth of the Environmental Justice Movement in the 1980s when local Black activists laid their bodies across the road in protest to block chemical-filled trucks from entering their community. Through our Environmental Justice program, the NC Black Alliance works with legislative representatives, community partners, and advocates to hold corporations accountable, support effective anti-pollution legislation, and educate impacted communities on how they can protect themselves and push for change. All of these actions are critical to reducing the rate of pollution in our communities. 8 | North Carolina Black Alliance
SPOTLIGHT EPA Petition
The NCBA Environmental Justice team led by La’Meshia Whittington crafted a petition to the EPA regarding the use of the toxic PFAS compound and its outsized health impact on rural Black and Brown communities. Under section 21 of the Toxic Substances Control Act, the petition seeks testing orders on 54 PFAS released into the environment by Chemours. Nearly 300,000 residents of Cape Fear communities have been exposed for more than 40 years to PFAScontaminated drinking water, and several PFAS have been found in their blood. While the original petition was rejected under the Trump Administration, we refused to give up hope. The petition has been refiled in hopes that the Biden Administration will respond with policy changes that will surely save lives.
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