Detroit has long suffered from environmental inequities, such as air and water pollution, inadequate housing, and insufficient disaster responses, especially impacting communities of color. President Biden's Justice40 Initiative, which aims to ensure 40% of certain federal investments benefit marginalized and pollution-burdened communities, offers a ray of hope. In light of this, WE ACT for Environmental Justice has launched Justice40rward, a national initiative to foster transparency and collaboration in allocating federal funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act to combat environmental injustices.
In Detroit, as part of this initiative, WE ACT partnered with the Green Door Initiative (GDI) for a Justice40rward tour stop. GDI, an organization championing environmental literacy and sustainable living, is dedicated to creating a world free of pollution and environmental racism. Their collaboration strengthens the pursuit of environmental justice, aiming to transform these marginalized communities and paves the way for a sustainable and equitable future.
As part of Justice40, the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) was created by the White House Council on Environmental Quality to identify so-called "disadvantaged communities." This tool assesses communities across eight categories, designating those exceeding set thresholds in one or more categories as "disadvantaged."
In Detroit, the CEJST overlayed with racial composition data offers a detailed socio-economic and environmental burden landscape, particularly in communities of color. The maps use color-coded census tracts to indicate the severity of these burdens, with darker shades representing higher challenges. They also highlight Detroit's racial demographics, emphasizing areas where over 90% of the population are persons of color.
This combined data underscores the correlation between disadvantaged areas identified by the CEJST and communities of color, which tend to shoulder higher environmental and economic burdens. In fact, a WE ACT analysis found Black residents in such communities to be twice as likely to live in areas with heightened burdens.
Among the locations in the Detroit Toxic Tour, all are in or near communities exceeding thresholds in at least five CEJST categories, and five locations exceed in seven categories. These highly burdened communities represent prime targets for the justice aimed at by Justice40.
On March 18, 2023, community members and Green Door Initiative staff guided Federal and State officials through seven key Detroit locations:
GDI Solar Project
Camp Restore Detroit Campus
Eastside Community Network
Ambassador Bridge
Delray Community Center
Zug Island
Marathon Refinery
They showcased local environmental and economic challenges and community-led efforts to address them. Residents spoke about the threats to their health from nearby industrial complexes and busy roadways, while organizers highlighted facilities and programs aiding those affected by significant environmental and economic burdens.
After the tour, Federal and State officials held discussions with locals about Justice40 and community concerns. Green Door Initiative presented its sustainable neighborhood project, "From Motor City to Solar City." This initiative tackles energy insecurity in Detroit, focusing on solar energy, environmental justice, economic growth, and climate response. Central to this project is 313 Solar, a facility aimed at propelling Detroit into a green economy, recognized with the EPA's 2022 Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize for its sustainable redevelopment vision.
Click the button below to view our storymap for more detailed information on our Justice40rward Detroit Tour.
