By Stephen Lester. Today marks the 23rd anniversary of the horrific attacks on the United States that resulted in nearly 3,000 deaths and 6,000 injuries when al-Qaida hijackers crashed four jetliners into the twin towers in New York City, the Pentagon and a field in southwest Pennsylvania on Sept. 11, 2001.  The legacy of the events from that day continues for the first responders, volunteers and nearby residents in New York City who were exposed to the toxic cloud that resulted when the two World Trade Center buildings collapsed. These

By Sharon Franklin. Reporters have found an increased cancer risk for some people who, as children, played in a creek contaminated with uranium waste.  This has caused a grade school to close amid radiation concerns. A landfill operator is spending millions to keep underground smoldering from reaching nuclear waste illegally dumped in the 1970s, according to documents reviewed by The Associated Press.  Both the federal government and companies responsible for nuclear bomb production and atomic waste storage sites in the St. Louis. Missouri area in the mid-20th century were aware

By Charlie Reeves As pollution seeps into low-income and minority communities at disproportionate rates, populations are continuously left unprotected. On Wednesday, August 21, 2024, a U.S. District Court in Louisiana ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency did not have the authority to investigate and determine if pollution-creating factories disproportionately impacted predominantly-minority areas.  Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act is intended to ensure that federal funds are never used to discriminate against anyone on the basis of race or ethnicity. The EPA, investigating and attempting to shut down chemical

By Gregory Kolen II. As the world faces increasing environmental challenges, from climate change to pollution, the most vulnerable among us often bear the brunt of these impacts—our children. Environmental justice is not just about addressing the broad issues of pollution and climate change; it’s about ensuring that every child, regardless of where they live or the color of their skin, has the right to grow up in a healthy environment. Protecting children’s health through environmental justice is a moral imperative that requires urgent attention and action. Children are particularly

By Stephen Lester. Just over a month ago, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded its investigation into the train accident that occurred in February last year in East Palestine, OH. A Norfolk Southern train with more than a hundred cars many of which were carrying toxic chemicals derailed causing 38 cars to come off the tracks. Five of these tanker cars contained vinyl chloride, a highly toxic chemical known to cause cancer, liver damage, central nervous system and other adverse health effects. Concerned that the derailed cars might explode

By Leila Waid. The climate change crisis worsens year by year, yet somehow, it feels like not enough progress is ever achieved. Frustratingly, there are many people who choose to ignore the issue, don’t believe it is real, or simply don’t think that there is anything they can do about it. So, how can environmental justice advocates reach these groups of people who don’t want to discuss the issue, let alone even think about it? Researchers from all different fields of studies, not just those in environmental health, have spent