By Jonathan Sharp
Environmental racism is burdening communities of color nationwide, fueled by past oppressive policies and practices such as racial segregation. Racial segregation has been forcing Black communities to live near pollution hotspots, including truck routes, industrial sites, airports, military bases, and landfills, which results in unreasonable toxic exposure. To understand the severity of the problem, it is important to note that Black people are 75% more likely than the average American to live near facilities that produce hazardous waste.
While communities of color in close proximity to pollution hotspots are constantly exposed to fumes, toxic dust, ash, and soot, they also often drink water contaminated with perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS or “forever chemicals” because they persist in the environment and the human body for a long time. These substances pose a great danger to health. Exposure can be responsible for thyroid disease, high cholesterol, liver disease, fertility issues, and pre-eclampsia, as well as possibly fatal illnesses such as testicular, kidney, breast, and prostate cancer.
“Forever chemicals” refer to a group of approximately 15,000 substances. The most-studied chemicals in this class are PFOA and PFOS. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classified the former as a possible carcinogen in 2014 and the latter in 2023. If these chemicals are released in areas where people of color live, they can easily infiltrate drinking water sources, causing serious toxic exposure and endangering health.
Once PFAS are present in the bloodstream, it takes nearly four years for their level to go down by half, assuming no additional exposure occurs, which is rarely the case in Black communities.
New York’s military bases is major source of PFAS water contamination for disadvantaged communities of color
Home to five military bases, New York State also has several airports partially controlled by the military. The state’s Black population is a little over 23%, and many of these people reside near military bases where PFAS have been used. AFFF, a suppressant used to extinguish fires caused by combustible and flammable liquids and gases that contains up to 98% “forever chemicals,” is the source of these substances at military installations, including the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station. Established in 1928, the military facility has 1.3 million parts per trillion of forever chemicals in its drinking water, eclipsing the safe exposure limit by 327,500 times. Black and Hispanic individuals comprise 26.6% of the community living near this military base.
The Hancock Field Air National Guard Base also has a high PFAS concentration in the drinking water. There, the forever chemicals level is 139,500 parts per trillion, which exceeds the safe exposure limit by 34,875 times. Black and Hispanic people residing close to this installation comprise 38.9% of the population.
At the Schenectady County Airport, which is also used by the military, the level of forever chemicals is 5,610 parts per trillion or approximately 1,400 times over the safe exposure limit. Black and Hispanic people comprise 32.8% of the community living near this airport.
Communities near these facilities inevitably may end up drinking toxic water since housing is close to these military sites.
It could be argued that PFAS have become so ubiquitous that exposure to these substances cannot be avoided by anyone; 97% of Americans have detectable levels of forever chemicals in their blood. Why is this a Black people problem? The answer lies in the amount of PFAS communities of color have in their bodies. Since the higher the level of these chemicals, the more likely a person is to develop a life-threatening illness, Black and Hispanic individuals who live near pollution hotspots are considerably more prone to adverse health effects. In fact, for every military fire training area or airport in a community, Harvard researchers found up to 108% increases in PFOA in drinking water and a 20 to 34% increase in PFOS, so these communities are disproportionately exposed to forever chemicals.
Achieving Environmental Justice for Communities of Color Affected by Toxic Exposure
Today, roughly one-third of New Yorkers live in segregated counties, and 95% of Black residents are living in a county that is highly segregated from white households, according to a report by Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office. Despite racial segregation being officially abolished 60 years ago, the problems it created for communities of color still persist, and environmental injustice is just one of these issues. There are numerous health disparities among Black people, some of which are the consequence of toxic exposure. Compared to individuals of other races, Black people have higher rates of developing and dying from many types of cancer, and have the highest death rate for cancer.
Combating environmental racism is an uphill battle. The most effective strategy to achieve justice is a mix of grassroots activism and collaboration with private law firms. While filing a lawsuit against the entities responsible for releasing carcinogens into the air requires a lot of time and patience, it might be worthwhile. Not only can it help ill people obtain compensation, but it might also discourage businesses from acting unethically.
The military is planning to phase out the use of AFFF by the end of 2024, which will end drinking water contamination with forever chemicals, but communities of color will still be exposed to toxic agents, so change has to happen fast.
Jonathan Sharp is Chief Financial Officer at the Environmental Litigation Group, P.C., a law firm headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., that provides assistance to victims of toxic exposure.
This post appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.