RISK AND JUSTICE - RETHINKING THE CONCEPT OF COMPENSATION

In recent years, environmental justice advocates have made a convincin g claim that risky facilities have been disproportionately clustered i n poor communities and communities of color. NIMBYism (not in my backy ard) has spread from predominantly white, affluent suburbs to poorer c ommunities of color. In this article, we propose a means of addressing environmental inequities and breaking the siting impasse. We think th at poor communities of color might use the proposed siting of risky fa cilities as a basis for negotiating substantial improvements in the we ll-being of their communities. We propose to embed siting negotiations in the preparation of broader development packages,jointly created wi th citizens of poor neighborhoods and communities of color, so that he alth risks are reduced, the environment is improved, and all residents are better off. As far as justice is concerned, the perceived fairnes s of the process by which risks are communicated and selected, and ris k management strategies are devised, is as important as the actual all ocation of risk.