This month marks the 40th anniversary of President Jimmy Carter declaring Love Canal a federal health emergency. It was the first time a man-made disaster was given that declaration.
The Environmental Justice designation is aimed at protecting poor and minority communities that often bear the brunt of pollution. But the update leaves out oil and gas drilling operations.
The EPA’s Environmental Justice office is meant to defend communities that face a disproportionate share of the effects of pollution. But the office’s funding could be cut entirely in President Trump’s 2018 budget proposal.
According to a new study, about 35 percent of kids who live near sources of pollution in Allegheny County have asthma. The national asthma rate is about 8 percent. The pollution, and the asthma it causes, have far-reaching consequences in a child’s life.
