The article concludes that claims under existing civil rights law, even if successful, do little to change the circumstances which give rise to environmental racism. Further, federal assistance in the form of an executive order issued by the Clinton Administration appears unlikely to assist in overcoming these barriers. While economic growth may not inherently result in an unequal distribution of benefits, there is no extant governmental compulsion to engage in a system of allotment based on measures of ultimate outcome. The impacts of economic growth and development are diverse, but among the resultant, often-externalized costs is pollution. On the whole, the result for communities of color is a host of undesired outcomes.
Race clearly is linked to the disproportionate impacts of pollution.
The specifics are convincing, if not downright disturbing. Given this empirical evidence, one should ask why it is that minorities receive more of the burdens. There are several possible contributing factors, some more racially benign than others. Patterns of economic development are one root cause. With unequal growth comes undesirable consequences, such as industrial facilities that pollute.