Conclusion

Environmental racism is not a new problem in St. Louis.

While there are efforts to address these challenges - and meaningful progress has been made over the years - there is still work to be done. In the meantime, racial injustice continues to be perpetuated in the the absence of a robust environmental justice agenda. Historically disenfranchised St. Louisans suffer the consequences – medical, economic, and in overall quality of life – while society as a whole shoulders the costs of avoidable medical and hospital bills, lost opportunity and productivity, and the tangible and intangible harms of living in a region plagued by inequity.

New approaches are required to rectify environmental racism in St. Louis and ensure that all residents benefit from:

• Safe, affordable, and energy-efficient housing;

• Sufficient air monitoring stations to ensure clean air and effective air quality management;

• Reliable, affordable public transportation;

• Healthy, fresh, and accessible food; and

• Neighborhood-based revitalization efforts that include addressing vacant properties and illegal dumping, directed by and for the benefit of local residents rather than the profit motive.

To that end, the recommendations in the Dismantling the Divide report,¹ as well as those of its predecessor For the Sake of All,² remain as effective guidance for eliminating racial disparities, particularly regarding housing, public transportation, and food access.

While endorsing those recommendations, this report also calls for those who are most directly impacted to play a leading role in crafting programs and policies to address these critical issues. For any solution to be effective in eliminating environmental racism and achieving racial justice, it must also be transparent in design and implementation.

We hope that this report can be a tool for impacted communities to lead the way in this process.