The biggest examples of environmental justice failures can be seen during the process of community development nationwide. In specific, the case of Warren County (one of the original instances that brought the EJ movement to the mainstream) shows how outside governance has failed a specific community. Warren County, North Carolina has a population that is 60% African American and where 25% live under the poverty line. When deciding where to place an environmentally destructive landfill site, Warren County was chosen over a more adequately fit white neighborhood. Thus, community members were forced to bear the adverse health effects of the site, harming them both physically and mentally. With the state given all the power to this decision, it was evident that these higher levels of government officials were making decisions for local populations. These populations being ones that were not granted an adequate voice in the decision-making process or a respected voice in the area in general. When communities, especially minority communities, are pushed away from this very important decision-making process, the end result usually ends up being one that does more harm than good to a particular neighborhood. Those who are bargaining and making decisions on behalf of the victims are far removed from the physical situation and will never have to endure the consequences of pollution firsthand. This distance gives outside officials the motive to put minority communities at high-risk time and time again. 

The scenario above demonstrates one of the three most important types of justice, procedural justice. According to New Castle University, procedural justice is defined as “the opportunity for all people regardless of race, ethnicity, income, national origin or educational level to have meaningful involvement in environmental decision-making”. It is evident that the decision-making process was what led to the uneven distribution of environmental hazards. Clearly, higher-ups should not be given such large discretion to communities in which they are so far removed without having input from community members themselves. Furthermore, it is imperative that local governments create a partnership between educated state officials and longstanding community members in order to foster development that is obtainable and appreciated within that specific community. It is important that government officials recognize community development as a living process where inclusion is the very foundation of the process and participation is monitored and maintained throughout. Community members should not be viewed as the subjects of community development by government officials, but rather treated as equals, who play a critical role in a community’s evolution. 

One of the most prominent examples of environmental racism can be seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Katrina was a category 5 hurricane that absolutely destroyed New Orleans and surrounding areas, directly killing 1,800 people and doing more than $125 billion in damages. However, the effects of the storm were not seen equally. The hurricane caused 7 zip code areas to flood. 4 out of the 7 had a population that was 75% or more Black. Research from Scientific American found that “the poorest residents are most likely to live on the lowest-lying land, and so are most subjected to higher flood exposure”. Undesirable land like this is often the cheapest, and minority and low-income families are consistently seen to be the ones living there. Not only are they predisposed to many environmental hazards, but they are also continually ignored by the state or even targeted because of their lack of political clout in some instances.

New Orleans, Louisiana was not mildly prepared for this caliber of a disaster. To start, the infrastructure in Black neighborhoods were weak and unable to withstand such force. Black families were left with half homes or no homes at all. And even without a proper place to stay many were unable to flee New Orleans specifically because the public transit that many relied on had no mandatory evacuation plans and were very slow at transporting a select few. With this recognized, poor, sick, and elderly citizens were still not given provisions!

While the disaster itself was “natural” it became very clear that the proper measures to protect particularly susceptible groups were not in place. The damage to the Black community did not stop here. Media coverage at the time essentially kicked the Black community while they were already down. Reporters created their own narrative about their portrayal of African Americans, often showing them “stealing” and “looting” when in reality, they are simply trying to survive in an environment that seemingly wants them dead.

Even years after the initial disaster struck, the original Black population of New Orleans is still suffering. Out of the 175,000 Black residents that left New Orleans within the year of the storm, over 42% still have not returned. Meanwhile, almost the entire non-Hispanic white population is back in the city. Instead of rebuilding affordable housing, many higher-ups have used this as a way to gentrify the city of New Orleans, making it no longer accessible for many of the community’s original members and losing the culture and values of these communities in whole. Overall, it is easy to see just how destructive environmental racism and Hurricane Katrina was and continues to be for the Black population.