Mining and the Environmental Justice Movement
Both the Reserve Mining Company as a past issue and the PolyMet Mining Company as a current issue directly call upon two principles of the Environmental Justice Movement¹:
Principle #6: “Environmental Justice demands the cessation of the production of all toxins, hazardous waste, and radioactive materials, and that all past and current procedures are held strictly accountable to the people for detoxification and the containment at the point of production.”
Principle #12 “Environmental Justice affirms the need for urban and rural ecological policies to clean up and rebuild our cities and rural areas in balance with nature, honoring the cultural integrity of all our communities, and providing fair access for all to the full range of resources.”
Environmental concerns have come more and more to the forefront of a lot of people’s minds throughout the last couple decades and what it means for the world. These issues highlight the evolution of public opinion, regulations, compliance and public concern through the context of environmental justice. As PolyMet's NorthMet Mining Project continues through the review process, it is important for local communities, officials, PolyMet, and all Minnesotans to consider the Reserve Mining case, and improve on the past.
1-"17 Principles of Environmental Justice." EWG. Accessed April 26, 2016. http://www.ewg.org/enviroblog/2007/10/17-principles-environmental-justice.
Principle #6: “Environmental Justice demands the cessation of the production of all toxins, hazardous waste, and radioactive materials, and that all past and current procedures are held strictly accountable to the people for detoxification and the containment at the point of production.”
Principle #12 “Environmental Justice affirms the need for urban and rural ecological policies to clean up and rebuild our cities and rural areas in balance with nature, honoring the cultural integrity of all our communities, and providing fair access for all to the full range of resources.”
Environmental concerns have come more and more to the forefront of a lot of people’s minds throughout the last couple decades and what it means for the world. These issues highlight the evolution of public opinion, regulations, compliance and public concern through the context of environmental justice. As PolyMet's NorthMet Mining Project continues through the review process, it is important for local communities, officials, PolyMet, and all Minnesotans to consider the Reserve Mining case, and improve on the past.
1-"17 Principles of Environmental Justice." EWG. Accessed April 26, 2016. http://www.ewg.org/enviroblog/2007/10/17-principles-environmental-justice.
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