Environmental Justice, Air Pollution, and Health Issues in South Baltimore, MD

South Baltimore is home to a number of communities including Curtis Bay, Brooklyn, and Cherry Hill that experience the daily impacts of environmental, climate, and energy injustice. Due to redlining, disinvestment, and inequities in planning and development, these South Baltimore neighborhoods have been used as sacrifice zones for industrial corridors, goods movement, dirty energy production, and waste management. Some of the environmental hazards in South Baltimore include a trash-to-energy incinerator, a medical waste incinerator, numerous oil, gas, and coal processing facilities, one of the largest coal exporting ports in the United States, and many more significant mobile, line, and stationary sources of pollution. Fortunately, local grassroots organizations have formed to fight against environmental racism and injustice in South Baltimore while pushing for fair development and clean energy solutions.
In this session, panelists from the South Baltimore Community Land Trust (SBCLT) and the youth entrepreneurship program Baltimore Compost Collective will discuss environmental justice and health issues that impact local neighborhoods. Panelists will describe partnerships with local researchers to understand exposure issues and health impacts associated with environmental injustice in South Baltimore. We will highlight the collaborative investigation of coal dust using continuous monitoring via a network of multi-pollutant air sensors deployed at 10 locations throughout the community, episodic sampling of numerous additional pollutants using a mobile monitoring laboratory developed by UMD and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and photos, videos, experiences, and testimonials from residents. In addition, panelists will discuss their fight for equity and justice for impacted residents and discuss community-centered strategies and solutions that should be implemented to transform South Baltimore into a healthier, greener, and more just community.