Mothers & Others For Clean Air deeply believes that access to clean air is an inherent human right. We acknowledge that communities of color often suffer from an unequal burden of toxic pollution. We offer the following resource to advance education and dialogue about Environmental Racism within the state of Mississippi. This is not a comprehensive list of issues, leaders, or organizations within Mississippi. Rather, this post highlights a few issues and resources, and thus encourages continued awareness and involvement with issues of environmental racism in Mississippi. We welcome anyone to share additional resources or thoughts with us.
What does Environmental Racism Look Like in Mississippi?
Hurricane Katrina: When Hurricane Katrina struck the Mississippi coast in 2005, twelve majority Black communities were damaged by the surge. Polluting facilities located in the communities were flooded during the hurricane. The flooding of the facilities caused toxins and volatile organic compounds to leak into the soil and water around these communities.[i] The toxins released from this flooding have had long term health effects on the community members including respiratory issues, digestive issues, reproductive effects, and cancer development.
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: On April 20, 2010 the DeepWater Horizon Oil Drilling Rig in Macondo Prospect in the Mississippi Canyon exploded. As part of the clean up effort, BP collected the waste and dumped it in landfills across Mississippi. 61% of the waste was dumped in landfills located in BIPOC communities[ii]. This waste affected the mental and the physical health of the residents. Exposure to the particulates emitted from the burning of the waste at facilities led to heart disease, asthma, and ear nose and throat irritation. Exposure to the disaster and the clean up efforts led to an increase in anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other stress related concerns among the BIPOC community members.
Grand Gulf Nuclear Power Plant v. Claiborne County: Mississippi is the only state which does not allow for the taxing of a nuclear power plant by the county. Many argue that this law exists because the county (Claiborne) in which Mississippi’s only nuclear power plant exists is 80% Black[iii]. Because the county is not allowed to tax the plant, the community receives none of the economic benefits the plant could have for Claiborne county. Members of Claiborne County tried to sue the Grand Gulf Nuclear Power Plant over claims of racial bias, but thirty years later the case has yet to be heard.
What is Mississippi’s Government Doing About Environmental Racism?
Mississippi’s government has a Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). Each year the Mississippi DEQ presents an Environmental Justice Action Agenda which outlines Environmental Justice strategies and goals for that year. Find the 2020 Environmental Justice Action agenda here.
To Get Involved with Environmental Racism Advocacy in Mississippi Follow & Consider Donating to the Following BIPOC Led Organizations:
“One Voice grew out of the work undertaken by the Mississippi State Conference NAACP in response to housing, education, civil rights, and other related policy advocacy needs facing historically disadvantaged communities in the wake of the 2005 hurricanes. That work revealed significant needs within the non-profit sector. One such need was access to current and relevant data required to do effective policy analysis. Another need was one of connections between trained and networked community leadership and non-partisan, community-based structures through which broad public involvement could be organized and sustained.”
[i] Morse, R. (2008). ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE THROUGH THE EYE OF HURRICANE KATRINA. www.jointcenter.org
[ii] Osofsky, H. M., Baxter-Kauf, K., Hammer, B., Mailander, A., Mares, B., Pikovsky, A., Whitney, A., & Wilson, L. (2012). Environmental Justice and the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. https://scholarship.law.umn.edu/faculty_articlesathttps://scholarship.law.umn.edu/faculty_articles/415.
[iii] Reilly, P. J. (2017). Mississippi Taxing – Nuclear Power And Accusations Of Racism. Forbes.Com.
