Everyone deserves the right to clean air, safe water, and a healthy environment. Yet for decades, coal mining and related industrial activities have disproportionately affected low-income communities, Indigenous nations, and communities of color across the United States. Citizens Coal Council (CCC) works to ensure these vulnerable communities are protected and empowered to participate in decisions that affect their health, homes, and livelihoods.
What Is Environmental Justice?
Environmental justice means the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race, income, or national origin, in environmental law and policy.
No community should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences of industrial, governmental, and commercial operations.
Coal and fossil fuel extraction has historically externalized costs- pollution, water contamination, and land degradation- onto communities with the fewest resources to resist. Environmental justice ensures that these communities have a voice in shaping policies that affect their environment and health.
Coal’s Disproportionate Impacts
Coal extraction and burning have affected vulnerable communities in multiple ways:
- Air Quality: Coal-fired power plants and mines release particulates, mercury, and other pollutants that increase asthma, respiratory illness, and other health risks.
- Water Contamination: Acid mine drainage, coal slurry, and runoff from mining sites can pollute rivers, streams, and groundwater.
- Economic Burdens: Mining regions often experience high poverty rates and limited economic alternatives, making residents more vulnerable to environmental harms.
- Displacement and Land Loss: Longwall mining and mountaintop removal can destabilize communities by destroying homes, farms, and cultural sites.
According to the NAACP, 78% of African Americans live within 30 miles of a coal-fired power plant, compared to 56% of non-Hispanic whites. Asthma hospitalization rates are twice as high for African Americans as for whites in these areas.
CCC’s Approach to Environmental Justice
CCC works to protect coal-impacted communities through education, advocacy, and citizen empowerment:
- Monitoring Regulations: We track laws, permits, and policies that affect vulnerable communities to ensure they are enforced and improved where needed.
- Empowering Local Citizens: CCC educates residents on coal-related environmental impacts, legal protections, and strategies to engage with regulators.
- Advocacy: We represent coalfield communities in regulatory and legislative processes, ensuring their voices are heard at the state and federal level.
- Partnerships: CCC collaborates with more than 60 allied organizations nationwide to amplify the call for justice and equitable environmental protections.
National and Global Implications
Environmental justice in coal-impacted regions is not just a local concern- it has national and global significance:
- Climate Impacts: Coal-fired power plants are major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, which disproportionately affect developing nations and vulnerable populations worldwide.
- Global Inequality: Countries with weaker governance, low income, and limited infrastructure face greater challenges adapting to climate change, often as a result of emissions originating elsewhere.
How You Can Help
- Learn and Share: Educate yourself about the impacts of coal in vulnerable communities. Share resources and spread awareness.
- Participate: Attend public hearings, submit comments on permits, and engage with local and federal agencies to demand accountability.
- Support CCC: Your donations allow us to continue advocating for environmental justice, protecting vulnerable communities, and empowering citizens nationwide.
Environmental justice is not optional- it is the foundation for healthy communities and a sustainable future.