Environmental Justice and Health Burdens in Marginalized Communities Near Waste Sites

Abstrak

This article examines the systematic direction of industrial waste toward low-income areas, creating environmental injustice and unequal health burdens for marginalized communities. The author argues that this risk concentration is sustained by biased spatial planning, commodified land valuation, and administrative routines that prioritize formal compliance over meaningful public participation. Marginalized residents often face "chronic uncertainty" due to constrained mobility, limited access to credible information, and the dismissal of their lived experiences by regulatory bodies. The discussion clarifies how three dimensions of justice distribution, procedure, and recognition interact to normalize these unequal protections. Ultimately, the article frames waste placement as a fundamental citizenship issue involving the right to a safe environment and equal protection. Because long-term exposure threatens intergenerational well-being, the author calls for a shift toward fair governance rooted in transparency, precaution, and accountability to dismantle these systemic inequalities.