INTRODUCTION

Given the extreme dominance of the oil and chemical industry with the state and federal governments, the ability of these four communities to gain any redress is fairly remarkable. Although not uniformly positive, the outcomes of the four cases detailed here show substantial gains for the environmental justice community in the 1990s. Others could be cited, such as the incinerators in Chester, Pennsylvania, or the refineries in South Los Angeles, but these Louisiana battles were among the most important cases in the nation for the period.

Having been surprised once, industry did not sit idly by. They fought back in several ways against the potential of environmental justice claims to create uncertainty in their planning. This backlash sought to change the game, making future struggles more difficult for communities. In this way, the Shintech struggle, especially, was like the Cuban Revolution: all later struggles will have to deal with its legacy – hardened positions on each side.

This chapter chronicles the backlash against environmental justice victories on the national and local levels in its first two sections. At its end, we survey the prospects for both sides and consider the future implications of the movement. There, we return to the three themes posed at the outset of the book. What is environmental justice? Who are they players, and what tools do they use to get their way? How do people experience environmental injustice?