But as they climbed the financial ladder, they moved to more affluent neighborhoods. The property that they left behind was inexpensive. Minorities moved in. The price also was right for officials looking for places to build public housing. Whether race or economics is to blame, thousands of minorities in Texas still live in public housing projects near Texas City , TX slideshow facilities that process tons of potentially explosive and deadly substances.
Toxic chemicals percolate out of their smokestacks daily.
Poor white families are more likely to live in federally subsidized low-income housing that is farther away from such facilities. From time to time, accidental releases from the plants exceed federal smokestack emissions standards. There's no question about it. It's environmental genocide. Some government officials offer a different explanation.