Deadly Air Pollutants ‘Disproportionately and Systematically’ Harm Americans of Color, Study Finds

New reports show that nearly every source of the nation’s most pervasive and deadly air pollutants disproportionately affect Americans of color, regardless of their state or income level, according to a study published Wednesday in the Washington Post.

The analysis of fine-particle matter, which includes soot, shows how decisions made decades ago about where to build highways and industrial plants continue to harm the health of Black, Latino and Asian Americans today. “…Americans of color face elevated exposure to benzene, a toxic air pollutant linked to cancer, because of their proximity to oil and gas refineries.”

And with the dirty energy inland port planned for the Northwest Quadrant of Salt Lake City, that exact same pattern is being repeated. Those on the West side, in West Bountiful and North Salt Lake, who are already subjected to more industrial pollution, will be victimized by a lot more diesel pollution and pesticides from the port.