What is environmental justice concerned with?

Environmental justice is fundamentally concerned with the fair distribution of environmental risks. This concept emphasizes that all communities, particularly marginalized and disadvantaged groups, should have equal protection from environmental hazards and should share equally in the benefits of environmental resources and services.

The focus on fair distribution ensures that no specific community bears a disproportionate burden of pollution or risks associated with environmental degradation. This principle is vital in addressing the historical and systemic inequalities that exist in relation to environmental health and safety.

While equitable distribution of waste management facilities also pertains to environmental justice, it is a more specific aspect of the broader principle of fair distribution of risks. Ensuring that communities are not unfairly targeted for negative environmental impacts is a core tenet of environmental justice, making it a central concern within the movement.

Other options, such as equal opportunity for employment in waste management and reduction of waste generation, are important issues but do not encompass the entire scope of environmental justice in relation to communities and their rights to a safe environment.