Born and raised in Houston, watching Hurricane Harvey rip through my city and devastate millions of homes was heart-wrenching. Family members and close friends are still feeling the effects of Harvey as they drive to work and school, or as they live in rental homes until theirs are habitable again. Although the torrential rain and strong winds were a natural occurrence, the aftermath was not.
Houston is the largest city in the nation lacking zoning regulations, meaning that residential homes and businesses often exist on the same street. Zoning laws are meant to clearly divide residential, commercial and industrial zones as a mechanism of uniformity. However, Houstonians do not view such regulations as necessary for city planning and would rather not have bureaucrats stepping into another aspect of their lives.
The absence of zoning laws may go unnoticed by upper class communities, but residents in low income areas are familiar with the consequences. River Oaks, otherwise known as the “Beverly Hills of Houston,” never sees an unwanted business enter its area of town. Meanwhile, the communities of Pasadena and Baytown are surrounded by Valero and Chevron chemical plants. The issue here is not just due to a lack of zoning, but an obvious disregard for environmental justice. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), environmental justice is “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.” The trend of forcing minority-dominated areas to live in hazardous environments can otherwise be known as “environmental discrimination.” Victims of environmental discrimination in Houston have grown accustomed to breathing toxic air, but storms like Harvey exacerbate the problem.
Houston, recognized as the energy capital of the world, is home to over twenty Fortune 500 companies, mostly comprised of energy sector corporations. The natural gas and energy industry is booming in the city and accounts for a majority of the economic growth in the region. Due to the overwhelming influence of these companies, the local government is hesitant to insert restrictions on their actions. Doing so might put Houston’s status as a national economic leader at risk. As a result, low income populations are literally and figuratively left in the dust. Ironically, local refineries and plants are often the top employer of nearby communities, which creates a sticky situation; a fight for environmental justice could put thousands of people’s financial stability at risk. Most are not willing to make this trade-off because the economic repercussions are felt immediately, while environmental effects are somewhat invisible and felt more in the long run.
However, Harvey shined a light on these usually ignored problems. Within the first day of flooding, at least ten facilities reported spills, leaks, potential explosions and flare stacks. These reports were directly disclosed to the government, with absolutely no warning given to citizens. The storm required all oil and chemical refineries to shut down, heightening the possibility of dangerous situations. In fact, some sites reported exceeding legal emission limits in the wake of the flooding. Flare stacks, employed to burn unusable waste gases, are especially undesirable because they emit an unbearable smell. Residents in the area have learned to live with an unnatural odor in the air, but Harvey intensified it. Some citizens resorted to wearing face masks, indoors and outdoors, to prevent exposure to toxic fumes. A study done by the University of Texas School of Public Health empirically highlights the health ramifications of chemical facilities in the area by indicating that “children living within two miles of the Houston Ship Channel had a 56 percent higher risk of contracting leukemia.”
Unfortunately, Houston’s environmental justice dilemma is not unique. Problems extremely similar to this prevail in GW’s own backyard. More specifically, Buzzard Point in Washington D.C., a community in which people of color comprise 93% of the population, is on the frontlines for effective environmental regulations. Not only is the area susceptible to coastal flooding, but the construction of the DC United soccer stadium threatens the livelihood of many. The stadium, expected to be finished in June 2018, will precipitate an increase of toxicity levels due to construction. The campaign to halt the establishment of the stadium, known as “Clean this place, Don’t displace,” ultimately garnered little benefits for residents of the community. The DC United team donated a measly fifty thousand dollars toward air purifiers for homes in the area. Although this was a step in the right direction, the donation pales in comparison to the lifelong adverse effects the stadium will have on the neighborhood. In fact, residents of Buzzard Point already suffer from higher levels of cancer and asthma. To make matters worse, a fifth of residents lack access to health insurance.
Washington, a city with far better zoning than Houston, similarly suffers from environmental justice shortfalls. Therefore, it is easy to suggest that in order to effectively combat this form of discrimination, a transfer of power is needed to give a voice to low income communities. Regrettably, little headway has been made in this department. Residents of Houston, Texas; Washington D.C.; Flint, Michigan; and a multitude of others have endured such discrimination for years while politicians remain complacent to their calls for action. In fact, Scott Pruitt (head of the EPA under the Trump administration) has taken regressive measures for environmental justice. Regulations meant to keep natural gas companies transparent by pressuring them to warn employees and nearby communities of irregular toxicity levels were recently rolled back. These regulations in particular would have played a significant role during Harvey to help those in vulnerable areas prepare or evacuate. Furthermore, threats have been made to put funding for environmental justice work on the chopping block by suggesting a cut of around $20 million annually. The only recent favorable endeavor taken by the EPA in this division is the addition of prison locations to the environmental justice mapping tool. Notably, this measure will extend deserved rights to the prison population, which is largely composed of minority persons.
Clearly, there is a lot of work left to be done to end the frequency of environmental discrimination. Hurricane Harvey, although disastrous, highlighted a couple key phenomenons the public must keep on its radar. First, the magnitude of natural disasters is growing to catastrophic levels, exposing the impact of climate change. Second, storms create unsafe by-products with the help of faulty laws. The government’s carefree attitude towards low income areas combined with disproportionate influence from hefty corporations allows these unfortunate situations to manifest themselves too frequently.