On Saturday, Nov. 3, approximately 30 students and faculty members from the UNM School of Law and other graduate programs participated in a “toxic tour” of communities around the Albuquerque area that are affected by environmental injustice. The purpose of the tour was to raise awareness and build connections between law and graduate students and members of these communities, with a long-term goal of inspiring students to consider working in social justice fields, and increasing the communities’ access to legal and political resources.
Environmental justice is the principle that that all people, regardless of socioeconomic status, race, or ethnicity, should be able to live, work, and raise their children in a safe, clean, healthy environment. Unfortunately, many of New Mexico’s low-income communities and communities of color are exposed to disproportionate environmental burdens, including excessive air and water pollution, hazardous waste sites, and a lack of basic infrastructure such as running water and electricity.
Sites visited on the tour included the South Valley community of Mountain View, which is 73 percent Hispanic and home to 76 junkyards, seven chemical facilities, 35 hazardous waste facilities, and a sewage treatment plant, among other environmental hazards, and the community of Pajarito Mesa, whose residents lack access to running water and electricity and are exposed to heavy truck traffic and dust from the Southwest Landfill. The tour concluded at Petroglyph National Monument, a sacred site for many of New Mexico’s indigenous peoples.
The toxic tour was hosted by the SouthWest Organizing Project (SWOP), the Sacred Alliance for Grassroots Equality (SAGE Council), the South Valley Community of Pajarito Mesa, and the South Valley Partners for Environmental Justice (SVPEJ), grassroots community organizations that have spent many years fighting for social and environmental justice.
A collaboration of UNM law student organizations came together to organize the tour, including the Environmental Law Society, the Mexican American Law Student Association, the Native American Law Student Association, the Association of Public Interest Law, the student chapter of the ACLU, the Student Health Law Society, the Women’s Law Caucus, and the Student Bar Association, as well as the Graduate and Professional Student Association.
Chris Melendrez, a third-year law student and member of the Mexican American Law Student Association (MALSA), said: “As an organization dedicated to supporting the Hispanic community in New Mexico, MALSA supports efforts to promote environmental equality within our communities so that all of our children and families are afforded the opportunities to grow, thrive, and pursue higher education without the additional burden of poor community health and quality of life.
The opportunity to drink clean water and breath clean air is easily taken for granted, but touring areas afflicted with unhealthful conditions serves as a reminder of the work that still must be done in order to bring equal opportunity to all New Mexico communities.”
For more information, contact Kristin Casper, Vice-President of the Environmental Law Society, at casperkr@law.unm.edu or (303) 594-0004.
Media Contact: Benson Hendrix, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: bhendrix@unm.edu
Posted by scarr at November 7, 2007 04:19 PM