The Fight for Fresh Air: Localized Movements for Environmental Justice and the Incremental Process of Policy Reform

Abstract

The Environmental Justice (EJ) movement has a decades-long history in the United States, driven by community-level activism against environmental harms which disproportionately impact communities of color and low-income. Legislative history surrounding EJ dates back to the 1990s, although the issue moved increasingly into the political mainstream in recent years and particularly during the 2020 U.S. presidential election. A central aim of environmental justice is ensuring the right of community members to participate in decision making processes and influence environmental outcomes, meaning localized EJ movements are an important locus for academic study.

This thesis seeks to explain the transformation of EJ as a policy issue, to understand the mechanisms and strategies underlying grassroots activism, and to consider the role of various levels of government in addressing EJ. Case studies centered around industrial pollution in Detroit and Houston as well as the impact of concentrated animal agriculture in southeastern North Carolina. Cases focused on issues of air quality and pollution permitting, identifying commonalities and differences between EJ movements and policies in unique local contexts.

To approach this topic, I first reviewed EJ policy progress and legal vehicles at the federal level, including congressional and presidential action from the Clinton administration onward. For each case study, I compiled all laws, introduced legislation, and executive or agency activity pertaining to EJ in Michigan, Texas, and North Carolina, framed around significant environmental or political events. I then conducted interviews with EJ organizers, environmental NGO representatives, academics, lawyers, legislators, regulators, and industry spokespeople associated with each specific case study.

Based on literature review, policy analysis, and interview material, I explained EJ policymaking and local activism via the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) and Multiple Streams Approach (MSA) political theories. In all cases, EJ policies and programs depended on the incremental work of community-based actors, and EJ advanced via association with other issues and fields.

Ultimately, this research suggests a number of policy priorities for centering communities in environmental discourse and ameliorating the disparate harms associated with pollution. These include strengthening environmental enforcement mechanisms, enhancing transparency and accountability via access to data and public participation, revising permitting procedures, and directing resources towards overburdened communities. Recommendations focus on empowering local voices and approaching EJ via a diverse array of platforms and professions.