Environmental Justice in the USA
Building from local advocacy to federal change
In the mid-Atlantic region of the US, communities face the interlocking crises of toxic pollution; inequitable access to public transportation and housing; and lack of job opportunities. While communities of color and low-wealth neighborhoods bear the brunt of this injustice, they have not had much of a say in discussions about legislative and policy solutions.
In 2024, paralegals worked with five impacted communities seeking remedies for environmental pollution that is putting health and safety at risk. In Frederick, Maryland, residents living near a “superfund site”—a contaminated area designated for high priority cleanup by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—turned their local struggle into a broader change. Working with a paralegal, they studied environmental regulations, documented risks, and made a case for policy change. Their efforts led to a new state law requiring real estate agents to inform families when a house is within proximity of a toxic waste site, empowering homebuyers to make informed decisions about their health and safety.
Simultaneously, drawing on their experience, Frederick residents successfully pushed the EPA to improve its national superfund site mapping tool, making it easier for people across America to identify toxic threats in their neighborhoods. What started as a call for justice in one community is creating positive impacts for overburdened communities across the country.
Under the new US administration, federal support for environmental justice is disappearing and there are serious threats to basic rights. In 2025, we are taking stock of what we have learned and adapting our U.S. strategy in light of the changing context.
People Rising: Ivy City, Washington DC
People Rising: Ivy City, Washington DC chronicles the active fight to close National Engineering Products (NEP), a chemical facility that has polluted the air with the smell of formaldehyde and burning tar since the 1930s. It inconspicuously operates in a poor, Black residential neighborhood and even shares a wall with a family home – including 6 children – all of whom have had negative health impacts since moving in. The existence of the facility in this neighborhood is not a coincidence; it is a product of environmental racism.
This short documentary follows Sebrena Rhodes, Ivy City resident, and community organizer, as she and her partners combine the power of law with the power of organizing in the fight to close NEP. This story shows how the communities impacted by environmental harm are working to build more sustainable ways of life for themselves, for future generations, and, ultimately, for all of us.
This film was produced by Namati in partnership with EmpowerDC and is an Official Selection of the 2023 DC Environmental Film Festival.
Watch the Film
Resources
Rhonda Hamilton: Fighting so that Children in her Community can “Live to be Grandparents”
As a child, Saturdays meant two things for Rhonda: trash and pizza. Her mother ardently believed in being ‘a good member of her community’ and was committed to teaching her children the same. “She’d wake us up Saturday mornings and say, ‘Come on! Let’s go pick up the ...
Maryland makes historic climate commitment for new fiscal year
Maryland made a major commitment to climate justice in its new budget. The budget commits to spending at least 40% of investments on climate change and environmental cleanup in the 16% of communities that need it most. This op-ed by Shashawnda Campbell and Vivek Maru describes what this can mean for heavily ...