Richmond California The growing crisis of the communities in the city of Richmond California

1. Richmond CaliforniaThe growing crisis of the communities in the city of Richmond California Tyler Fowler URBS/GEOG 515: Race, Poverty & The Environment Professor Raquel Pinderhughes, Urban Studies & Environmental Studies Programs, San Francisco State University Spring 2004 Public has permission to use the material herein, but only if author, course, university, and professor are credited.

2. This presentation focuses on the environmental conditions and environmental injustice issues in relation to the communities in Richmond California as a result of hundreds of petrochemical and industrial facilities located in the city. It is designed to take a look at how the placement of these facilities is having a devastating effect on the natural environment and the communities living within them. It analyzes and describes the struggles of the Richmond community, paying particular attention to the social, environmental and public health impacts of the processes associated with these toxic facilities. We start by taking a look at the history of Richmond and how it became a city littered with industrial activity. We will next look at the environmental impacts these facilities are having on the natural environment. This will be followed by the social impacts and Environmental injustice issues that are happening as a result of the placement of these facilities. And finally we will analyze how the people of Richmond are coming together and fighting for their health and well being as a community.

3. The City of Richmond is located in Northern California just northeast of San Francisco in Contra Costa County. Richmond is a predominantly African American community that has a population of 99,216 (U.S Census Bureau 2000)