Environmental Justice

We believe people have a right to a clean environment and access to natural resources regardless of race, religion, nationality, gender, culture, physical ability or socioeconomic status. We will advocate for clean resources on the behalf of all people and provide interaction with the undeserved and sometimes altogether ignored communities that have expressed their concern with environmental polluters for decades.

 

While we believe access to clean resources is a right bestowed to all people, not everyone is impacted as hard or as frequently as people of color. Environmental racism is yet another form of systemic racism embedded into our laws and culture. Good Stewards' focus has been and will remain on fenceline communities who bear the greatest burden from pollution and environmental degradation.

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Good Stewards' formed our Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee in 2021 in order to perform organizational audits in real-time to assure we exceed our JEDI goals.

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Typically, fencline communities bare the worst costs of pollution and overall neglect in their environment. Big and powerful companies do not plan pipeline routes or chemical emitting facilities in these areas without thought, but with careful mapping of the path of least resistance. These communities cannot readily afford a years long court battle and many may be unaware of the dangers presented altogether. They cannot afford to put life on hold and move to another location, and certainly shouldn't have to. Environmental justice concerns have become even more apparent in recent years during battles against projects like the Atlantic Coast Pipeline on the East coast, which threatens black and indigenous communities almost exclusively along it's route. The Atlantic Coast Pipeline project is now abandoned, thanks to long-fought battles my concerned groups and citizens like you.

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The ability to drink clean water, breath clean air and live on clean land are God given rights, necessities to the very foundation of life. It is equally important to protect our neighbor's rights to life as it is our very own. Pollution knows no boundaries and neither should the people, groups and communities who fight for clean resources. 

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The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality has been required to create an Environmental Justice mapping tool by settlement with the Waterkeeper Alliance and other groups in the state. The Dan Riverkeeper has signed onto comment and improvement letters to the DEQ system on behalf of Good Stewards of Rockingham to encourage proper implementation of the program. Click the pdf link below to view the EJ Comments. The system can be accessed here.

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Join, donate or volunteer to help the Dan Riverkeeper!

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