Not in My Backyard… But Whose?: Uncovering the Reality of NIMBY
What is NIMBY?
“Not in My Backyard,” or NIMBY, refers to when local residents show their opposition to public developments being made in their communities. This opposition can be due to various reasons, some of which are health concerns, noise complaints, increased pollution, and heavy traffic.
Although no one wants to have a landfill, waste incinerator, or major industry placed right into their neighborhood, some people simply don’t have a choice.
At the end of the day, the NIMBY phenomenon can be seen as favoring the upper-class communities, while leaving low-income neighborhoods to bear the burdens of these toxic waste facilities and other harmful developments.
Does NIMBY discriminate?
According to a longitudinal study done by researchers Paul Mohai from the University of Michigan and Robin Saha from the University of Montana, there has been a consistent pattern in the racial and socioeconomic demographics of the communities located near environmental hazards.
To put this in perspective, a 2007 study shows that out of the 9 million people who live within 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) of the nation’s hazardous waste facilities, over half of them are people of color.
These noxious facilities are specifically being built in low-income communities of color in an effort to avoid the NIMBY movements spearheaded by more powerful, white communities by “taking the ‘path of least resistance’ and targeting communities with fewer resources and political clout.”
What is it like to live near a landfill?
There is a slew of negative health effects associated with living in close proximity to a landfill or hazardous waste site. These include “cancer, birth defects, low birth weight, and genetic mutations.”
Chemicals from landfill sites often leak into the groundwater systems and contribute to air and soil pollution, causing the surrounding environment to become extremely dangerous to one’s health.
As waste piles up in landfills, the chemicals present mix around and create a substance called leachate or “garbage soup.” Leachate is considered a highly toxic liquid, containing many “volatile organic compounds and heavy metals.” This is not something you want to be drinking.
In conjunction with leachate ending up in water systems, chemicals from electronic waste also often wash away and accumulate in the groundwater. These metals consist of lead, cadmium, and many other poisonous substances.
In addition to the adverse effects landfills have on groundwater systems, they also play a huge role in increasing air pollution. The majority of landfill gas consists of methane and carbon dioxide, two common greenhouse gases. The rest is composed of oxygen, nitrogen, ammonia, hydrogen, sulfides, along with various other gases.
As shown in various studies conducted in communities located near landfills and waste lagoons, exposure to hydrogen sulfide and landfill odors across a period of several months led to a rise in health complaints.
The New York State Department of Health writes, “The reported health complaints included eye, throat and lung irritation, nausea, headache, nasal blockage, sleeping difficulties, weight loss, chest pain, and aggravation of asthma.”
Clearly, being situated near a landfill impacts one’s general health and makes it more difficult for them to carry out daily activities.
Does NIMBY promote division in the U.S.?
The “Not In My Backyard” movement has set a precedent for the normalization of the racial and socioeconomic divides in the United States. Although the impacts of NIMBY may seem negligible to the naked eye, these consequences have and will certainly affect future generations to come.
Environmental racism is so ingrained into our society, and this is evident through the way that landfills predominately impact impoverished areas and those with high BIPOC populations.
Time and time again, our country has ignored the prevalent struggles of these populations and has pushed them to the background.
If we want to start combating systemic racism, economic inequality, and environmental issues in America, we need to first acknowledge our privileges and realize that these conflicts are all interconnected and over time, they will reach all of our backyards.
Sources
Aziz, Shuokr Qarani & Mohamemd, Sazan. (2018). Characteristics and potential treatment technologies for different kinds of wastewaters.
Facebook, et al. “The World’s Trash Crisis, and Why Many Americans Are Oblivious.” Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2016, https://www.latimes.com/world/global-development/la-fg-global-trash-20160422-20160421-snap-htmlstory.html.
Important Things to Know About Landfill Gas. https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/outdoors/air/landfill_gas.htm. Accessed 9 July 2020.
“Landfills.” Everything Connects, http://www.everythingconnects.org/landfills.html. Accessed 9 July 2020.
Landfills: Impact on Groundwater — Types, System, Source, Oxygen, Human. http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/La-Mi/Landfills-Impact-on-Groundwater.html. Accessed 9 July 2020.
“Targeting Minority, Low-Income Neighborhoods for Hazardous Waste Sites.” University of Michigan News, 19 Jan. 2016, https://news.umich.edu/targeting-minority-low-income-neighborhoods-for-hazardous-waste-sites/.
“Toxic Wastes and Race and Toxic Wastes and Race at Twenty.” United Church of Christ, https://www.ucc.org/environmental-ministries_toxic-waste-20. Accessed 9 July 2020.
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Edited by: Ira Gupta, Director of Research Bloggers
