Topic Area: Solid Waste Management
Geographic Area: Houston, Texas
Focal Question: Does a relationship exist between the location of solid waste facilities and the racial composition of neighborhoods?
Sources:
(1) Bullard, Robert D., "Solid Waste Sites and the Black Houston Community," Sociological Inquiry Vol. 53, (Spring 1983): 273-288.
(2) Bullard, Robert D., Dumping in Dixie: Race, Class and Environmental Quality. San Francisco: Westview Press, 1994.
Reviewer: Ryan Mayhugh, Colby College '97
Review:

It is safe to say that no community or city in the United States would welcome a solid waste site to their neighborhood with open arms. "Not in my backyard" is the common response. These sites (such as landfills and incinerators) can increase pollution, increase the risk of health problems such as chronic pulmonary diseases, and decrease property values. For these reasons, a solid waste site can be considered a negative externality.

If nobody wants these facilities, then how is their location determined? City officials tend to follow the "path of least resistance" when determining which community will receive a site. For reasons that will be discussed later, the "path of least resistance" usually points to a predominantly black community. This has unquestionably been the case in the city of Houston.

Ten solid waste sites (five incinerators, five landfills) were in operation in the city of Houston from the 1920s until the early 1970s, when they were shut down due to high costs of operation. Of these ten sites, nine were located in predominantly black communities. The remaining site was located in a predominantly Hispanic community.

In the 1920s, when these sites were built and their location was determined, the United States, and especially the South, was still in the midst of segregation. While the percentage of waste sites located in black communities (90 percent) is troubling, it was, nevertheless, a sign of the times.

Between 1970 and 1978, a total of 21 solid waste sites, and a total of six landfill sites were permitted in the city of Houston by the Texas Department of Health. Eleven of the 21 solid waste sites (54.2 percent) and five of the six landfill sites (83.3 percent) were located in predominantly black communities. At this time, blacks made up just under 28 percent of HoustonÕs total population.

The preceding example shows that minimal improvements had been made in Houston regarding solid waste site location between the 1920s and the 1970s. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 did little in directing the "path of least resistance" toward white communities.

A major reason for this environmental discrimination was political. Before 1970, no black or Hispanic person had ever held a city council position in the city of Houston. White council members steered the sites away from their communities into predominantly black neighborhoods, and these neighborhoods were not difficult to locate. Over three quarters of Houston's black population live in neighborhoods that are more than 70 percent black.

Why didn't the members of these communities challenge the officials that were locating sites in their neighborhood? For one, the communities lacked the financial resources that are necessary to mount a successful opposition. Organization and personnel were limited as well.

Air pollution in low-income urban communities can be up to five times greater than pollution levels in suburban communities. The addition of solid waste sites takes a bad situation and makes it worse. While middle and upper class households can afford air conditioners that help to shut out air and noise pollution, low-income households canÕt afford these luxuries.

Due to their proximity to polluting industries and solid waste sites, blacks have the most to gain from effective environmental enforcement policies. However, environmental groups have not concentrated on improving racially segregated communities, and therefore, few blacks are active participants in these groups.

Nevertheless, progress has been made. Residents of Northwood Manor, a predominantly black Houston neighborhood, challenged the location of a landfill in their community. Although the lawsuit they filed was defeated, laws were passed that examined the racial composition of communities where proposed sites were to be located. As a result, no solid waste site has been added to Houston since 1979. It is unclear, however, whether the freeze on additional waste sites has reduced the amount of waste generated in the city.

It is obvious that Houston's black communities have made great strides since the early 1970s. However, several solid waste sites are still in operation in the city of Houston, and most reside in predominantly black communities.