Toxic America

Documenting toxics. Environmental racism. Environmental justice.

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Paiute people v. Big Coal in Nevada

The Moapa Band of Paiute Indians thought coal ash from a nearby plant was killing them off; so they fought back

Reporting from Al Jazeera on the Moapa Band of Paiute fighting back against coal ash dumping on their land. 

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This is how racist your air is

If you're white, you're probably breathing cleaner air.

Great reporting from Julia Lurie for MJ on atmospheric inequalities and environmental racism.

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Second radioactive oil waste site found in North Dakota | Al Jazeera America

Naturally occurring radioactive rock is brought up by oil and gas drilling, and is an increasing problem in boomtowns

This is a great report from Al Jazeera on oil drilling and fracking in North Dakota. Of note: "Health officials have said that radioactive filter socks — tubular nets that strain liquids during the oil production process — and other waste are increasingly being found along roadsides, in abandoned buildings or in commercial trash bins, sometimes those of competing oil companies"

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Racial Discrimination And Environmental Justice in Camden NJ

Camden has the second highest cancer rate in New Jersey, and the eighth highest in the nation thanks to over 100 toxic waste sites. When the St. Lawrence Cem...

Great short doc on environmental racism in Camden NJ

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Newark homes not so sweet with toxic vapors seeping inside

Barry Carter, reporting for the Star Ledger, on groundwater contamination in the Ironbound neighborhood in Newark, NJ. Homes built on land (brownfield) previously occupied by a company that made cigarette lighters are drawing water from a toxic supply.

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Bronx residents fight FreshDirect relocation, citing environmental racism | Al Jazeera America

Reporting from Al Jazeera on South Bronx residents attempt to block the relocation of the FreshDirect grocer HQ, citing arguments on air pollution and environmental racism.

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Environmental Justice Atlas

Check out this excellent GIS data on toxics, extractive industry, and waste from the Environmental Justice Atlas commodity map. 

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Environmentalists say N.C. river is 'toxic soup' after coal ash spill | Al Jazeera America

Peter Moskowitz reporting for Al Jazeera on coal ash dumping by Duke Energy in the Dan River basin, NC. 82,000 tons of coal ash have been dumped. From the article, "Coal ash can contain a slew of dangerous chemicals like mercury, lead, arsenic and selenium." Waterkeeper Alliance has been documenting and reporting on this event so far.

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"Communities are not all created equal. In the United States, for example, some communities are routinely poisoned while the government looks the other way. Environmental regulations have not uniformly benefited all segments of society. People of color (African Americans, Latinos, Asians, Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans) are disproportionately harmed by industrial toxins on their jobs and in their neighborhoods."

Robert Bullard, Confronting Environmental Racism

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Galveston oil spill damage could be more than meets the eye | Al Jazeera America

Al Jazeera reporting on the Galveston Bay fuel oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. 168,000 gallons. Wildlife ecologists at Texas A&M are already looking at marine habitat destruction and its long term effects.

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Winona LaDuke, Executive Director of Honor the Earth weaves ancient Anishinaabe teachings, history, and economics into a discussion about what she says are the dangers and folly of heavy industry and “extractive” economics.  She touches on concerns about several heavy industy proposals around Lake Superior and the traditional Anishinaabe Aking or Ojibwe homelands including pipelines, frac oil drilling (and transportation) and proposed hard rock or “sulfide” mines around Lake Superior.  

This is the second of two videos recorded at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN on February 8th, 2013.  The first video features Paula Maccabee a lawyer and strategist with Water Legacy who argues against the proposed Polymet mine in Northern Minnesota.   That video can be found here:  http://youtu.be/xjOYImaGgbE

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Winona LaDuke on water and extractive economics.

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Visit Original Link

Great podcast from Physics World with Kate Brown, author of Plutopia (Oxford UP, 2013), on plutonium disasters and toxic waste.

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Part of a documentary from The Record on hazardous toxic waste in North Jersey (particularly Mahwah and Ringwood). 

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The Ramapough Lunaape Nation actively monitors toxic waste and cleanup in North Jersey and New York. Check out their site, excellent stuff on lead contamination in Ringwood in NJ, and on fracking politics.

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A helpful infographic on fracking from Occupy.

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This massive chemical plant is poised to wipe another Louisiana town off the map

Tim Murphy for Mother Jones has written an article documenting the toxic history of Mossville, LA. This story has everything: environmental racism, industrial chemicals, corporate welfare, and greenhouse gases. Fun.

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An example of using  GIS to document toxics in NJ from a Google Maps user.