Waste and racism: A stacked deck?

It has been difficult for many blacks to say, 'Not in My Backyard.' Many of them don't even have a backyard, according to the author in describing what he calls 'environmental racism.' He defines environmental racism as the 'systematic targeting of black communities for the siting of sewer treatment plants, landfills, incinerators, hazardous-waste disposal sites, lead smelters, and other risky technologies.' Historically, poor and minority communities have received a disproportionate share of such facilities. Few are located in the suburbs, where most middle-class whites live. Today, Latino neighborhoods and Indian reservations also are feeling the impact of discriminatory siting decisions. The author feels state governments have done a miserable job of protecting minority communities from the ravages of industrial pollution. After placidly accepting their fate for years, many of the communities are fighting back, challenging siting decisions on equity grounds in state and federal courts and organizing a national movement against environmental injustice