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Double Jeopardy in Houston
The report identifies a 'double jeopardy' for residents of east Houston's Harrisburg/Manchester and Galena Park communities, who face both daily chronic exposure to toxic air pollutants and a high risk of acute catastrophic chemical accidents. Using EPA data, the study finds that these marginalized communities have significantly higher toxic concentrations, cancer risks, and respiratory hazards than the more affluent West Oaks/Eldridge and Bellaire neighborhoods. The authors attribute these disparities to a lack of citywide zoning in Houston and the concentration of high-risk industrial facilities in low-income areas, recommending stricter regulations on safer chemicals, improved fenceline monitoring, and the implementation of formal health-impact assessments.
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Document type: Report
Double Jeopardy in Houston
The report identifies a 'double jeopardy' for residents of Harrisburg/Manchester and Galena Park in east Houston, who face both higher daily exposure to toxic air pollutants and greater proximity to high-risk chemical facilities than residents of West Oaks/Eldridge and Bellaire in west Houston. This disparity results in significantly higher cancer and respiratory illness risks for east Houston residents, exacerbated by a lack of comprehensive zoning laws and socioeconomic determinants.
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Document type: Executive summary
Doble peligro en Houston
The report identifies a 'double jeopardy' for residents of Harrisburg/Manchester and Galena Park in east Houston, who face both significantly higher daily exposure to toxic air pollutants and a greater risk of catastrophic chemical accidents due to their proximity to high-risk industrial facilities. In contrast, wealthier communities in west Houston, such as Bellaire and West Oaks/Eldridge, have far lower exposure levels and fewer nearby hazardous facilities. The document advocates for systemic regulatory changes, including the adoption of safer technologies, improved emergency communication, and the implementation of health impact assessments to address these environmental justice disparities.
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Document type: Executive summary
REQUEST TO INCLUDE CERTAIN RECORDS IN, AND TO REMOVE CERTAIN LIMITATIONS FROM, THE DEPARTMENT OF MINERAL RESOURCES’ DECLARATION IN TERMS OF SECTION 15 OF THE PROMOTION OF ACCESS TO INFORMATION ACT, 2000
The document is a formal request to the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) to increase transparency by expanding the list of records automatically available to the public under section 15 of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA). The signatories argue that the DMR's 2014 declaration improperly limits access to specific categories of persons and excludes critical documents such as mining rights, environmental authorisations, and compliance reports, which are essential for affected communities to hold mining companies accountable.
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Document type: Statement
Complaint Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d, 40 C.F.R. Part 7, and 7 C.F.R. Part 15
Community groups Moms On a Mission Hui and Pō‘ai Wai Ola allege that HDOA and ADC have failed to implement Title VI compliance programs, leading to discriminatory adverse effects on Native Hawaiian populations. The complaint highlights the lack of pesticide registration limits, the absence of mandatory buffer zones, and a failure to enforce federal and state pesticide laws. It specifically points to the high concentration of genetically engineered seed crops in West Kaua‘i and Moloka‘i, where Native Hawaiian populations are proportionally higher than the state average. Additionally, the complaint cites ADC's operation of an unpermitted drainage ditch system on the Mānā Plain that discharges pollutants into waters used by Native Hawaiians. The complainants request that the EPA and USDA conduct compliance reviews and require the agencies to develop implementation plans to mitigate these discriminatory impacts.
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Document type: Statement
Repudio latinoamericano al golpe de Estado en Brasil
ATALC condemns the installation of Michel Temer's government in Brazil, characterizing it as a coup that threatens democratic stability in Latin America. The organization warns that this political shift leads to the dismantling of social policies and the implementation of neoliberal economic measures, including the privatization of common goods and the opening of oil reserves to transnational capital.
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Document type: Statement
REQUEST FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO PARTICIPATE AS A STAKEHOLDER IN THE HIGHVELD PRIORITY AREA MULTI-STAKEHOLDER REFERENCE GROUP MEETINGS
The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) and groundWork are urging the South African Department of Health to join the Highveld Priority Area (HPA) Multi-Stakeholder Reference Group (MSRG). They argue that the Department of Health's involvement is critical given the severe health burden caused by air pollution in the HPA, particularly from Eskom's coal-fired power stations. The document cites data suggesting thousands of premature deaths and significant IQ loss due to mercury emissions, as well as the economic costs of these health impacts, to justify the need for health officials to collaborate on air quality solutions.
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Document type: Statement
OPEN LETTER TO THE MINISTERS OF PUBLIC ENTERPRISES, ENERGY, ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND HEALTH
The document argues that Eskom is obstructing South Africa's transition to renewable energy and violating constitutional rights through the continued operation of polluting coal-fired power stations. The signatories call for the removal of barriers to small-scale renewable energy, the decommissioning of ageing coal plants, and greater transparency regarding emission compliance plans.
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Document type: Statement
Comunidades Latinas en Riesgo
The report finds that millions of Latinos in the US are disproportionately exposed to toxic air pollutants and ozone from oil and gas infrastructure, leading to significant health burdens. It highlights that 1.81 million Latinos live within a half-mile of such facilities and 1.78 million live in counties where cancer risks exceed EPA concern levels. The document argues that poverty and lack of health insurance exacerbate these risks, and calls for the EPA to regulate existing facilities, not just new ones, to protect public health and address climate change.
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Document type: Report
Latino Communities at Risk
The report finds that millions of Latinos are exposed to toxic air pollutants and ozone smog from oil and gas facilities, leading to elevated cancer risks and childhood asthma attacks. These health threats are exacerbated by higher poverty rates and lower health insurance coverage within Latino populations. The authors argue for comprehensive EPA regulations covering both new and existing oil and gas infrastructure to reduce methane and toxic emissions.
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Document type: Report
normas para las empresas, derechos para los pueblos
The document advocates for a legally binding UN treaty to hold transnational corporations (TNCs) accountable for human rights and environmental abuses. It highlights the failure of voluntary corporate responsibility codes and the misuse of bilateral investment treaties to challenge public health and environmental laws. Through case studies in Latin America and Africa, it illustrates how TNCs operate with impunity due to legal gaps and state complicity, calling for a shift from voluntary guidelines to mandatory international regulations.
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Document type: Fact sheet
COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT STRATEGY TO ADDRESS AIR POLLUTION IN DENSE LOW INCOME SETTLEMENTS
The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), representing several environmental justice organisations, submitted comments on the 2016 Draft Strategy to Address Air Pollution in Dense Low Income Settlements. While welcoming the document, the CER argues that it lacks measurable plans, adequate baseline data, and a strategy for community consultation to effectively address the health impacts of domestic fuel burning in South Africa.
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Document type: Statement
Conservation standards
The document establishes a framework of 14 conservation standards to prevent human rights abuses during site-based conservation interventions. It argues that while states are primary duty bearers, non-state actors—including NGOs and philanthropic foundations—have a 'responsibility to respect' human rights. The standards are divided into rights most likely to be directly infringed (such as self-determination, free, prior and informed consent, and land rights) and those indirectly infringed (such as education and non-discriminatory employment). The authors emphasize that these standards should serve as minimum requirements for all conservation activities to avoid forced evictions, cultural deterioration, and the marginalization of indigenous governance systems.
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Document type: Research paper
In solidarity with Black Lives Matter
Friends of the Earth President Erich Pica issued a statement condemning recent violence in Dallas, Baton Rouge, and Falcon Heights, and affirming the organization's support for the Black Lives Matter movement. The organization pledges to reassess its activism to better address systemic racial oppression and calls on other environmental organizations to prioritize racial and social justice as part of the pursuit of a healthy and just world.
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Document type: Statement
Request for Review of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ Compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
A coalition of organizations and individuals requested federal civil rights reviews of MDEQ and MDHHS, alleging that the Flint water crisis and pollution in Wayne County demonstrate a pattern of environmental injustice. The signatories argue that MDEQ failed to implement required corrosion control and manipulated lead testing, while MDHHS failed to respond to public health spikes and provided inadequate emergency services to people with disabilities and those with limited English proficiency.
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Document type: Statement
PRELIMINARY COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT NATIONAL GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION REPORTING REGULATIONS
The document argues that the draft Regulations unfairly place the burden of GHG emission calculations on data providers rather than the competent authority. It recommends shifting the data provider's role to reporting activity data at a facility level, expanding the scope of GHGs to include fluorinated gases, and ensuring full public disclosure of emission data to meet South Africa's obligations under the Paris Agreement and its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).
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Document type: Statement
Los contaminantes tóxicos del aire y la salud en la comunidad de Manchester en Houston
The document details the exposure of the Manchester community in Houston to hazardous air pollutants emitted by nearby industrial facilities, including oil refineries and chemical plants. It identifies six specific toxic substances—1,3-Butadiene, Benzene, Ethylbenzene, Styrene, Toluene, and Xylene—and describes their potential short- and long-term health effects, such as cancer and respiratory issues. The report emphasizes that this 'front-line' community, characterized by high minority and low-income populations, faces disproportionate environmental burdens and lacks the resources to hold polluters accountable.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Air Toxics and Health in the Houston Community of Manchester
The document highlights the exposure of Manchester, Houston residents—a predominantly minority and low-income community—to toxic air pollutants from nineteen industrial facilities. It details the specific health risks associated with six hazardous air pollutants regulated under the Clean Air Act and argues for a shift in the burden of proof from the community to the polluters regarding health impacts.
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Document type: Fact sheet
HPA REVIEW QUESTIONNAIRE TO DETERMINE WHETHER AIR QUALITY IN THE NKANGALA DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY HAS IMPROVED SINCE 2007
The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) has issued a questionnaire to the eMalahleni Local Municipality (ELM) as part of a "mini shadow review" to evaluate the implementation of the Highveld Priority Area (HPA) Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP). The review seeks to identify resource gaps in the municipality and determine if air quality in the Middelburg and eMalahleni areas of the Nkangala District Municipality (NDM) has improved since the HPA was declared in 2007. The CER notes that despite statutory mechanisms, "air quality remains poor on the Highveld" as of 2016. The questionnaire focuses on several key areas: the clarity of regulatory responsibilities across government spheres; the adequacy of financial resources and budgets allocated to ELM for air quality functions since 2007/8; the qualifications and training of staff, including designated air quality officers and Environmental Management Inspectors; measures taken to reduce dust and emissions from domestic coal burning in low-income settlements; and whether industrial facilities have reduced emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases. Additionally, the document highlights a data gap in assessing air quality improvements, noting that DEA/South African Weather Service data from 2009 to 2015 shows that "the number of exceedances of ambient air quality standards have increased slightly" and that some monitoring instruments have malfunctioned over extended periods.
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Document type: Statement
Air Toxics and Health in the Houston Community of Manchester
The community of Manchester in Houston, Texas, faces significant public health threats due to a dense concentration of industrial facilities, including oil refineries and chemical plants. Residents, who are 98 percent minority and 65 percent low-income, are exposed to hazardous air pollutants such as benzene and 1,3-butadiene. The document highlights the disproportionate burden of pollution on low-income communities of color and calls for local officials to prioritize public health and safety in fence-line communities.
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Document type: Fact sheet