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Cincinnati could be among the first cities in the country to pass a law protecting poor people and minorities from businesses that pollute their neighborhoods.
Vice Mayor David Crowley's Environmental Justice Ordinance, to be discussed today, starts with this premise: Everyone in society should share the burden of pollution and related health problems, not just poor people or those who live in low-income neighborhoods that are often home to polluters.
Already supported by five council members, a majority, the ordinance would require some proposed projects in Cincinnati's poorest neighborhoods to undergo an extra environmental justice review - in addition to the usual zoning, building and health approvals - to determine whether the new business would have an adverse impact on the neighborhood and/or on residents' health there.
It lists many health issues as being made worse by pollution. Among them: asthma, heart disease and cancer.
"We're an old city, so people grew up working around these factories and living near them," Crowley said. "But we've got to make sure people are protected."
The ordinance defines the affected community as those who live within a mile of the proposed project. Residential, retail and some commercial projects would be exempt. But any commercial projects determined by a new environmental specialist to have significant, cumulative adverse impacts would be prohibited from getting other necessary city approvals. A business could appeal to an environmental justice appeals board and to city council.
The extra scrutiny is what makes the topic a touchy one. Critics say the last thing Cincinnati needs is something that could hinder the attraction of new business to the city. But it's politically difficult to take a position that appears to be against improving the environment and helping alleviate the health problems of poor people.
Full Story: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080428/NEWS01/304280140/1056/COL02
