Living on the Hazards Fenceline in Michigan

Environmental injustice disproportionately affects people in lower socioeconomic classes and people of color in that these communities tend to live on the fenceline of environmental hazards. In the Great Lakes region, communities are impacted by soil, air, and water contamination, mining hazards, and toxic waste. The majority of hazards research focuses on air and water pollution with less attention to activities such as mining and pipeline placement. Fenceline communities have long recognized the importance of education and advocacy for environmental health. This work seeks to build connections between hazards and advocacy efforts. This project first identifies which communities in Michigan are living in proximity to environmental hazards - and specifically, hazards enacted by superfund sites, resource extraction, and/or contaminated soil, water, or air. This work is enacted through identification of GIS datasets related to hazards, race, and socioeconomic states. Maps depicting hazards and human variables were created to identify relationships between hazard location and community parameters. Next, research was undertaken to identify past and current environmental hazards impacting communities as well as community responses. Community based participatory research (CBPR) allowed trust building and communication with fenceline communities, allowing for understanding of the role of environmental advocacy for these spaces. By conducting a spatial analysis of the proximity of environmental hazards to low-income, Black, Indigenous, and Latinx communities, this study informs how environmental organizations and consultants approach resource extraction and site remediation. In addition, this work amplifies the ongoing and deeply historical efforts of the most vulnerable communities in Michigan.