By Mejgan Shefa

Edited by Claire Posno and Ifrah Ikram

The term environmental racism gained notoriety in 1994 in a statement made by former United States President Bill Clinton. In addressing the nation, he stated, “All people, regardless of race, national origin or income, are protected from disproportionate impacts of environmental hazards.” Nearly thirty years later, the term is becoming popular within the Canadian political sphere. In understanding environmental racism, it is important to note that it is defined through ideas from environmental degradation and racism. This idea is strongly associated with environmental justice theory, advocating for fair allocation of both environmental advantages and disadvantages. It aims to elucidate and bring attention to the interdependence among socio-economic circumstances, racial discrimination, and environmental well-being.

Much of the work done to address this issue in Canada is driven by Dr. Ingrid Waldron. She defines environmental racism as the deliberate placement of hazardous waste sites, landfills, incinerators, and polluting industries in marginalized communities. The most prominent example of environmental racism is in Nova Scotia, Canada.  The ENRICH Project is a collaborative community-based task force that investigates the causes and effects of toxic waste and industries near racialized or marginalized communities in Nova Scotia. It was found that the Sydney Steel Corporation was producing significant amounts of toxic waste, which affected the air quality and led to water contamination. Their waste and pollution were 6000% higher than the national standards for corporations and factories. The federal fisheries department discovered that lobsters in Sydney Harbour had elevated levels of carcinogenic chemicals and various toxic metals such as mercury, cadmium and arsenic in their bodies and the water. As a result, racialized communities began to experience health issues that are still present in the communities today. African Nova Scotian communities in Shelburne, Lincolnville, and the Prestons attribute high rates of cancer, liver and kidney disorders, diabetes, heart disease, respiratory illnesses, skin rashes, and psychological stress to various environmental hazards that have been near these communities for decades.

Decades of industrial pollution in Boat Harbour and ongoing water contamination issues in Sipekne’katik First Nation highlight the insidious nature of environmental racism and its enduring impact on marginalized communities. In 1967, Boat Harbour became polluted by the Northern Pulp Mill when they discharged pulp and paper mill by-products into the Harbour. Since then, they have dumped billions of litres of waste and industrial contaminants. Not Surprisingly, Boat Harbour was recently deemed to have the third highest cancer rates per capita of all health districts in Canada. So, when the Sipekne’katik First Nation became concerned about water contamination in their community, it was not a shock. The community had access to clean water until 2012 when digging at the nearby Nova Scotia Sand and Gravel pit contaminated the water table and issued a do-not-drink advisory, after which the Department of Aboriginal Affairs began shipping water into the community. Despite this, the root cause of the problem — the pit located in the community’s backyard — was never addressed, resulting in ongoing issues with water contamination.  

In both the Northern Pulp Mill and the Sydney Steal Organization examples, the communities are situated near toxic waste. The contaminants from Boat Harbour have been building for years. This form of slow violence highlights how the communities surrounding this area gradually face environmental racism. The Sipekne’katik First Nations were forced to find alternative methods for clean drinking water because of an act committed by someone with power. The placement of the waste is not their choice, and because of that, they are subjected to environmental racism. While the harm done to these communities is not physically violent in nature, it has caused physical harm to them.

Africville is a small community in Nova Scotia created during the slave trade. Over the past 70 years, they have faced various forms of environmental racism. The facilities have been creating environmental degradation, leading to environmental racism. Dating back to the early 1800s when the government of Nova Scotia placed slaughterhouses, infectious disease hospitals and human waste disposal pits in Africville several decades later, there was the development of an open pit dump and the landfill. By the 1970s, the government had also placed a fertilizer plant, a tar factory, a stone and coal crushing plant, a cotton factory, a prison and three systems of railway tracks. Many community members noted that they had suspicions about their lower quality of health and connected it back to the pollution and waste surrounding them. Older residents stated that the community seemed healthy and thriving before the landfill placement. Still, after it had been constructed, they noticed community members dying at younger ages, several types of cancers that had not been seen in the community before the landfill creation in 1974, and a rise in diabetes, stomach cancer, tumours, and asthma. Based on this evidence, one can conclude that individuals living in these areas are bound to face health issues. Community members’ suspicions and concerns demonstrate their understanding of the correlation between proximity to chemicals/waste and health outcomes. 

This issue is one they have dealt with in the 70s, and it has only worsened over time, indicating it is a form of slow violence that has now also become environmental racism. The residents of Africville face socioeconomic challenges due to historical marginalization and systemic discrimination, resulting in lower income levels and limited resources to oppose the placement of hazardous waste sites. The deliberate placement of such sites in Black and Brown neighbourhoods reflects systemic environmental racism, perpetuating disparities in health outcomes and exacerbating environmental injustice. Furthermore, marginalized communities often lack political power for resisting the placement of industrial polluters in their communities through their exclusion from many environmental groups, decision-making boards, commissions, and regulatory bodies. 

In 2021, a team led by Dr. Waldron developed a map identifying different polluting industries and other environmental hazards in Mi’kmaw and African Nova Scotian communities. Their research created a visual demonstration to show the proximity of waste incinerators, waste dumps, thermal generating stations, and pulp and paper mills near these communities, as well as the harmful materials contained at these sites that are linked to health risks. Residents living in Shelbourne, Lincolnville and the Prestons were found to have high rates of cancer, liver and kidney disorders, diabetes, heart disease, respiratory illnesses, skin rashes, and psychological stress due to various environmental hazards near these communities for decades. These case studies illustrate how health is connected to a person’s surroundings. The air, water, and soil in these communities are polluted by toxins, causing environmental degradation and lowering these marginalized communities’ health. 

In 2015, a New Democratic Party member of the Nova Scotia Legislative Assembly and Dr.Waldron collaborated on the first-ever environmental racism bill for private members in Canada. The Environmental Racism Prevention Act (Bill 222) was introduced to legislation but never approved. In 2023, Bill C-226, an act respecting the development of a national strategy to assess, prevent, and address environmental racism and advance environmental justice, was created. Since October 2023, the bill’s second reading has been completed and is now under consideration. This bill is a national strategy whereby the Minister of the Environment must consult or cooperate with any interested persons, bodies, organizations, or communities — including other ministers, representatives of governments in Canada and Indigenous communities — and ensure that it is consistent with the Government of Canada’s framework for the recognition and implementation of the rights of Indigenous peoples. The hope is that this bill will address issues concerning Canadians who are disproportionately affected by environmental racism. If passed, they will be able to share their stories through the collection of information and statistics relating to health outcomes in communities located in proximity to environmental hazards, along with compensation and amendments to federal laws, policies, and programs.

Marginalized communities in Canada are disproportionately exposed to health hazards compared to other communities because of their proximity to chemicals and pollution. The issue of environmental racism in these communities dates as far back as the 1800s. While they could not understand or define this concept then, we now know what was and continues to cause health issues in these communities. The sooner the Canadian government acknowledges this form of slow violence, the greater their chance of assisting those in need.

Mejgan Shefa is a Master of Public Policy candidate at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. She is passionate about social welfare, healthcare, and foreign policy. She is driven by a fervent desire to contribute meaningfully to society, particularly by addressing the needs of marginalized communities. Her ultimate goal is to uplift the voices that have historically been underrepresented. Mejgan is committed to being a catalyst for transformative policies that enhance the well-being of individuals and communities, aspiring to play a role in shaping a more equitable and inclusive future.