The Legacy of Environmental Justice in the Construction Industry

BY: Carol Holland, PE, CCM, LEED AP - Associate Vice President, Business Unit Manager - Dewberry

American history is full of stories of pride and shame showing the best and the worst of us—including in the Architect, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) space. Nowhere is that more evident than in our infrastructure, where decisions aimed at dividing us were made manifest in highways construction and hazardous waste treatment sitings. The sheer longevity of infrastructure demands that we make better decisions to get it right for all stakeholders. 

Seeking to achieve fair and equitable distribution of environmental benefits and burdens associated with economic production defines Environmental Justice. Its roots began in the 1980s and were informed heavily by the civil rights struggles of the 1960s.

In 1982, a predominately African American community in North Carolina organized a nonviolent protest against a Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) landfill in their county. The protest attracted national attention and resulted in the arrest of over 500 environmentalists and civil rights activists, even as the protest failed to halt the landfill.    

In 1983, a GAO study found that 75% of all hazardous waste landfills examined were located in communities where poor African Americans made up at least 26% of the population. And today, race is the most significant predictor of a person living near contaminated air, water, or soil.

Not only are minorities and underserved communities in closer, more frequent contact with toxic waste, but they also suffer from increased health disparities due to that proximity. For example, residents in majority-black areas are 16% more at risk than those in white dominant areas in Louisiana's Cancer Alley.   

So, what can construction professionals do? Well, as with most things in the build environment, the decisions at the front end of the project- in the planning, siting, permitting, and design stages- are the ones that are the most crucial for ensuring equity in our projects. Here are some critical steps to take to increase equity in your projects:  

• Know who your end users are. Make sure to have a thorough understanding of all the stakeholders associated with the facility. Consider neighbors and neighborhoods as well as ratepayers. 
• Know the law. Presidential Executive Order 12898 focuses on Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations. Most states have enacted laws of varying complexity. 
• Be inclusive. Make sure that people on your decision team are reflective of the end-user of the facility that you are planning and focus on inclusiveness.  
• Listen. Identify underserved impacted communities and proactively reach out to them. 
• Continue the dialogue. From Concept to Operations, seek to maximize transparency on all aspects of your project implementation.

Every industry has a role in moving towards a more inclusive union envisioned at our country's founding. During this Black History Month, CMAA NCC reflected on and remained committed to our role in contributing to that lofty and worthy goal.