For generations, the residents of Lowndes County, Alabama, a mostly Black rural community near Montgomery, have faced a lack of access to adequate sanitation. Many individuals are forced to dump their sewage directly into their own backyards, where it collects on the dense, clay-like soil. This has led to a resurgence of hookworm, a parasite that thrives in unsanitary environments. Hookworm can severely drain people of their energy and hinder the cognitive development of children.
While Lowndes County is not the only place in the United States dealing with sanitation issues, it has become a symbol of environmental racism during the Biden administration. In May, the Justice Department revealed evidence of racial discrimination in Lowndes County’s ongoing sanitation crisis, resulting in an interim agreement. The agreement will require Alabama’s Department of Public Health to cease imposing fines on residents who cannot afford functioning septic systems and develop a plan to improve access to proper sanitation infrastructure.
This is unquestionably a significant victory for environmental justice, but the question remains whether it signals a broader change in how the federal government addresses environmental racism. Activists are hopeful, but progress has been slow for over 30 years. While Democrats have long advocated for a “whole-government approach” to tackle environmental hazards in minority communities, the enforcement of President Bill Clinton’s 1994 executive order on environmental justice fell short. Strong federal action could have prevented some of the severe public health crises of recent years, such as the sewage problems in Alabama, water contamination in Flint and Jackson, and disease risks in places like Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley.”
Unfortunately, minority communities in the United States continue to bear a disproportionate burden of environmental issues. A 2019 study revealed that white Americans experience 17 percent less air pollution than the pollution generated by their consumption, while African Americans inhale 56 percent more air pollution than their contributions warrant.
The Biden administration is working to rectify past failures. In April, President Biden renewed Clinton’s 1994 executive order and established an Office of Environmental Justice at the White House to lead efforts in assisting minority communities facing significant health burdens. Additionally, an Environmental Justice Scorecard will be implemented to hold federal agencies accountable and measure their progress. Other positive developments include funding for environmental justice projects through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including a $1 billion pilot program to address racial segregation caused by highway construction and $55 billion for waterworks replacement in communities like Jackson.
The settlement in Lowndes County serves as a shining example of a successful whole-government approach. Federal agencies can leverage their funding power to penalize states engaging in racial discrimination, violating the Civil Rights Act. Vernice Miller-Travis, executive vice president of the Metropolitan Group, a social-justice organization, commends the Biden administration for its proactive stance on environmental justice.
However, environmental activists are frustrated with some of the compromises made by President Biden, such as fast-tracking the Mountain Valley Pipeline, which encroaches on Indigenous land and threatens increased pollution in Black communities like the Banister district in Virginia.
It is too early to draw definitive conclusions from the settlement in Alabama, and its impact on environmental justice as a whole remains to be seen. While it is undoubtedly a victory for Lowndes County and Alabama, time will tell if it marks a broader shift in addressing environmental racism.
Nick Tabor, author of “Africatown: America’s Last Slave Ship and the Community It Created,” is a freelance journalist.
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