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Living on the Fenceline

Overview | Conversations with Advocates of Fair Growth | Living on the Fenceline

Thousands of communities across the United States are located on the fenceline with toxic waste dumps and highly-polluting industries. Residents in these communities, who are disproportionately low-income and people of color, are exposed to a higher level of dangerous chemicals than are other Americans. Not surprisingly, many fenceline residents contract a variety of diseases as a result of these chemical exposure.

Chemical monitoring and health monitoring in these neighborhoods is minimal and environmental regulations governing these toxic hot-spots are not designed to adequately protect a population this close to industry nor are existing regulations adequately enforced.

As a result it has been left up to grassroots groups of fenceline residents to organize themselves and demand a reduction in toxic releases or a relocation program for people in harm's way. Diamond, Louisiana, is one such fenceline community that fought for relocation.

Below are interviews with residents in Diamond and Norco, Louisiana conducted during the campaign for relocation that was led by the Concerned Citizens of Norco. This small, grassroots group protested the impact of explosions and pollution from the nearby Shell Oil refinery and chemical plant. These local activists spearheaded a ten year campaign demanding that Royal Dutch/Shell pay to buy out the properties of residents who were in harm's way. The campaign was assisted by a wide variety of environmental justice, social justice, environmental, philanthropic, and religious groups. The Concerned Citizens of Norco ultimately prevailed and Shell purchased the properties of local residents who wanted to move. Margie Richard, president of the Concerned Citizens of Norco, receive the Goldman Environmental Award (the Nobel prize for grassroots environmental justice activists) in 2004 for her work organizing Diamond residents.

These interviews are part of the source materials for Steve Lerner's book, "Diamond: A Struggle for Environmental Justice in Louisiana's Chemical Corridor," available through MIT Press.