Environmental Justice in the North East

Teesside

Research has shown that the poorest communities tend to live in the worst environments.

We ran a successful project with people in Teesside to tackle this environmental and social injustice. 

The work led to the establishment of a group called Impact.

About Impact

Impact has provided a forum for residents to discuss their concerns about the effect of nearby chemical sites on their lives. The group won The Guardian’s Eco Gong award in 2003 for its campaign to halt the scrapping of the infamous ‘Ghost Fleet’ of former US naval vessels.

In November 2006, Hartlepool Borough Council rejected the plan by Able UK to build a dry dock to dismantle the ships.

Able's application was refused on a number of grounds including concerns about:

• the effect on the environment
• people's health
• wildlife habitats.

These were some of the same issues highlighted by Impact in its campaign.

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