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Community, Health, and Family

FROM STEEL MILLS TO DREDGING PROJECTS: ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND COMMUNITY IDENTITY IN TURNER STATION Jack Stein*, Jack Stein, Thomas Shriver, Alison Adams,

Objectives and Case Selection

A vast body of research has investigated the ways in which communities located near industrial projects are vulnerable to environmental exposures and increased environmental risk. Many such communities are populated by minority and low-socioeconomic status groups. While environmental and sociological literature provides insights into the disparate effects of industrial pollution, questions remain about cases where historically polluted communities are confronted with new development projects that have the potential to exacerbate contamination and exposure. This gap in the literature leaves pressing questions regarding the potential and unknown effects of modern industries on vulnerable communities. To address this gap, we examine a case of environmental injustice in the town of Turner Station in Baltimore County, Maryland. Specifically, we ask how the identity of the Turner Station community has been shaped by legacy pollution, and how has the community been divided over the proposed dredging project?

Methods, Findings and Implications

The data for this research come from news articles, government reports, interviews, press releases, community hearings, and other relevant materials. In addition, artifacts were collected from the Baltimore Museum of Industry archive and the Turner Station History Center. Together, these data allowed us to analyze the historical patterns of legacy pollution and the current controversy surrounding the proposed dredging project. Our findings show that legacy pollution can have long term environmental health impacts, as reflected in the experiences of local residents. Moreover, our findings show that modern industrial projects can put these communities at risk of re-victimization through new forms of pollution. The controversy surrounding the dredging project highlights how the ongoing effects of legacy pollution can shape the identity of the community and continue to sow division in the future.