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Memphis Sanitation Strike
on 1 February 1968, two Memphis garbage collectors, Echol Cole and Robert Walker, were crushed to death by a malfunctioning truck. Eleven days later, frustrated by the city’s response to the latest event in a long pattern of neglect and abuse of its black employees, 1,300 black men from the Memphis Department of Public Works went on strike. Sanitation workers, led by garbage-collector-turned-union-organizer T.O.Jones demanded recognition of their union, better safety standards, and a decent wage -
Sit-in Against Warren County,NC PCB Landfill
The second time African Americans mobilized a national, broad-based group was a nonviolent sit-in protest against a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) landfill in Warren County, North Carolina. Over 500 environmentalists and civil rights activists were arrested and the protest was unsuccessful in halting construction. This event is widely understood to be the catalyst for the Environmental Justice Movement. -
Toxic Waste in the united states
The United Church of Christ Commission on Racial Justice (UCC) examined the statistical relationship between the location of a hazardous waste site and the racial/socioeconomic composition of host communities nationwide. This study found that over 15 million African Americans, 8 million Hispanics, and half of all Asian/Pacific Islanders and Native Americans resided in communities with at least one abandoned or uncontrolled toxic waste sites. -
West Harlem Environmental Action (WE ACT) Founded
West Harlem Environmental Action was founded to address ongoing West Harlem community struggles around the poor management of the North River Sewage Treatment Plant. WE ACT evolved into an environmental justice organization committed to empowering the community to become a vocal, informed, and proactive force that determines and implements its vision of what its environment can be. WE ACT was New York's first environmental justice organization created to improve environmental and health quality -
First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit Held
The First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit was held in Washington, D.C. The four-day conference was called. Several hundred Native American, African American, Latino, and Asian Pacific conferees attended and adopted 17 Principles of Environmental Justice EXIT as a comprehensive platform for a national and international movement of all people. -
Office of Environmental Equity Established
The office of Environmental Equity was established, based on recommendations of the Environmental Equity Workgroup. In 1994, the name was changed to the Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) -
National Environmental Justice Advisory Council Created
EPA Administrator Carol M. Browner created the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council, a federal advisory council that holds public meetings on environmental justice issues across the nation. -
Executive Order 12898
The Environmental Justice Small Grants Program provides financial assistance to eligible organizations to build collaborative partnerships, to identify the local environmental and/or public health issues, and to envision solutions and empower the community through education, training, and outreach.
Since its inception in 1994, the Environmental Justice Small Grants Program has awarded more than $24 million in funding to over 1400 community-based organizations. -
Environmental Justice Small Grant Program Established
The Environmental Justice Small Grants Program provides financial assistance to eligible organizations to build collaborative partnerships, to identify the local environmental and/or public health issues, and to envision solutions and empower the community through education, training, and outreach. -
Florida Environmental Equity And Justice Passed
The Legislature provided funding for the establishment of a Center for Environmental Equity and Justice (CEEJ) at Florida A∓M University within the Environmental Sciences Institute. The purpose of the Center is to conduct and facilitate research, develop policies, and engage in education, training, and community outreach activities with respect to environmental equity and justice issues. -
CA Senate Bill 828
Senate bill 828 required "each board, department, and office within Cal-EPA to review its programs and identify gaps that may impede achievement of environmental justice by December 31, 2003." -
People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit held
California Assembly bill 2312 establishes an Environmental Justice Small Grant Program administered by CalEPA. It will provide grants of up to $20,000 to local community nonprofit organizations for projects that address environmental justice issue -
TOXIC WASTE AND RACE
The Toxic Wastes and Race at Twenty Exit study conclusions indicate that people of color are found to be more concentrated around hazardous waste facilities than previously shown in the UCC 1987 study. -
NEJAC Submits Key EJ recommendations to EPA Administrator
NEJAC submitted a report, Ensuring Risk Reduction in Communities With Multiple Stressors: Environmental Justice and Cumulative Risks/Impacts, to the EPA Administrator. -
NEJAC Issues Report Highlighting Gentrification and Displacement
The NEJAC published its recommendation report titled Unintended Impacts of Redevelopment and Revitalization Efforts in Five Environmental Justice Communities, which highlights concerns of gentrification and displacement in brownfield communities. -
Toxic Waste and Race at Twenty Study
The Toxic Wastes and Race at Twenty Exit study conclusions indicate that people of color are found to be more concentrated around hazardous waste facilities than previously shown in the UCC 1987 study. -
Federal Partnership for Sustainable Communities
The EPA, HUD, and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) partnered together to coordinate investments to meet community objectives for building healthier neighborhoods. The principles of this federal partnership are to: 1) provide more transportation choices; 2) promote equitable affordable housing; 3) enhance economic competitiveness; 4) support existing communities; 5) coordinate and leverage federal policies and investment; and 6) value communities and neighborhoods -
Environmental Justice Legal Tools
EPA's Office of General Counsel released EJ Legal Tools, which identifies key legal authorities for Agency policy makers to consider in advancing environmental justice. The work greatly expands on OGC's 2000 memo, which explored regulatory authorities that could be used to advance environmental justice in the permitting process. -
Flint Water Crisis
Erin Brockovich known for efforts for trying to figure out why hinkley,california residents were getting sick and ended up finding out that the pacific gas and electric company was polluting the ground water and it was heavily contaminated,sued the company for millions of dollars which helped spark more acts to take place. -
EJ 2020 Action Agenda
EPA released a draft framework for creating it's EJ 2020 Action Agenda. The next phase of strategic planning on environmental justice at EPA, EJ 2020 will help EPA advance environmental justice through its programs, policies and activities, and will support our cross-agency strategy on making a visible difference. -
Final Framework for EJ 2020 Action Agenda
The EJ 2020 Action Agenda (EJ 2020) is EPA's strategic plan for advancing environmental justice for the years 2016-2020, building on the work of Plan EJ 2014. TEJ 2020 focuses on three major areas: (1) deepening environmental justice practice within EPA programs to improve the health and environment of communities; (2) working expand our positive impact within overburdened communities; and (3) demonstrating progress on national environmental justice challenges.
