Environmental Justice in the North East 27 March 2013
Teesside
Research has shown that the poorest communities tend to live in the worst environments.
Friends of the Earth ran a successful project with people in Teesside to tackle this 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 on their lives of nearby chemical sites. 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 ships.
In November 2006 Hartlepool Borough Council rejected Able UK's plan 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.
© Friends of the Earth
