Earthjustice

Coal ash is a byproduct of coal-fired power plants, and the management and disposal of coal ash in coal ash pits is an environmental health concern. Evidence suggests that socioeconomically disadvantaged communities are more likely to bear the burden of these environmental hazards. However, limited studies have investigated the relationship between socioeconomic status and residential proximity to coal ash pits. We examined associations between census tract poverty and non-white race with the likelihood of having coal ash pits within the census tract. We obtained coal ash pit location and census tract-level data (2017-2021) of the percentage of the population living at or below the federal poverty level and the percentage of the population's non-white race for 82,805 census tracts in the contiguous United States. We implemented multivariable logistic regression models to examine associations between non-white race, poverty, and the likelihood of having one or more coal ash pits in a census tract. Secondary analyses among tracts with at least one coal ash pit evaluated the associations between poverty, non-white race, and the likelihood of having multiple coal ash pits. Models additionally adjusted for census tract region. Census tracts in the highest quartile of poverty were over two times as likely to have one or more coal ash pits (OR = 2.23, 95% CI: 1.52, 3.25). Tracts in the highest quartile of the non-white population had 90% lower odds of having one or more coal ash pits as compared to the lowest quartile (OR = 0.10, 95% CI: 0.06, 0.17). Census tracts with higher levels of poverty were more likely to have one or more coal ash pits, and census tracts with higher non-white populations were less likely to have one or more coal ash pits, suggesting that these associations are complex and indicate an environmental justice issue.

Der Report wurde im Auftrag der Republik Nauru fur den Ban Ki-moon Klimagipfel im September 2014 in New York erstellt. Die Republik Nauru hat derzeit den Vorsitz der Allianz der kleinen Inselstaaten (Alliance of Small Island States, AOSIS) inne. In dem Report werden Prioritaten fur einen raschen Ubergang zu einer klimavertraglichen Weltwirtschaft herausgearbeitet. AOSIS ist eine Koalition von 44 niedrig gelegenen Kustenstaaten, die von den Auswirkungen des Klimawandels am starksten betroffen sind. Der Report wurde von den AOSIS-Staaten an den Generalsekretar der Vereinten Nationen ubergeben.

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Notes Robert Burns. 1785. To A Mouse on Turning up her Nest, With a Plough. ‘The best-laid plans o' mice an' men Gang aft a-gley, An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain For promised joy.’

The pesticide poisoning deaths of 24 children in an isolated Peruvian village make a compelling case that corporate accountability for pesticide poisonings in the developing south should be examined from a human rights perspective. Highly toxic pesticides cannot be used safely under prevailing socioeconomic conditions. The industry asserts that the deaths of these children were accidental, blaming misuse. Tragedies such as these poisonings are not accidents, but foreseeable, and therefore preventable. Sales of highly toxic pesticides that cause repeated and predictable poisonings violate the fundamental human rights to life, health, and security of person. The Tauccamarca tragedy is a clear example of the urgency of applying a precautionary, human rights approach to pesticide issues in the developing south.

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