What is Environmental Justice, and why should it matter? This Compressor will unfairly affect communities that are already overburdened by industrial pollution.
Environmental Justice is a premise embraced by the government of the United States and the government of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
President Bill Clinton’s 1994 Executive Order states that Environmental Justice is “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies.” It continues, “No group of people should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, governmental and commercial operations or policies.”
Based on this policy, the communities of Quincy Point and Germantown, both adjacent to the Fore River Basin, have been designated as environmental justice communities
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is also governed by the 2002 Environmental Justice Policy. It states that “agencies bear the responsibility to preserve and protect the natural resources of the Commonwealth, community-by-community, watershed-by-watershed. All communities must have a strong voice in environmental decision making.”
The Fore River site for the compressor station is located in a densely populated area, already burdened by multiple sources of industrial and vehicular pollution. It would appear that neither the federal nor state EJ policy is reflected in decisions made at the regulatory level.
“Environmental Justice is based on the principle that all people have a right to be protected from environmental pollution and to live in and enjoy a clean and healthful environment. Environmental justice is the equal protection and meaningful involvement of all people with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies, and the equitable distribution of environmental benefits. ”