A line of petrochemical facilities in St. Charles Parish, La., in 2018. Many people who live near industrial sites, and who are exposed to dangerous pollution, fear that the Inflation Reduction Act will deepen existing environmental inequalities. Gerald Herbert/AP hide caption
Protesters attempt to block the delivery of toxic PCB waste to a landfill in Warren County, N.C., in 1982. It was in response to the state's decision to locate a hazardous waste landfill in a low-income, predominantly Black area of Warren County that the term "environmental racism" was first used by the Rev. Ben Chavis. Jenny Labalme hide caption
The Monastery of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Washington, D.C. is the new host of a 151 kW community solar garden. The panels will provide roughly 50 nearby households with green energy. Mhari Shaw/NPR hide caption
An elevated view of smog and air pollution in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA. Dave G. Kelly/Getty Images hide caption
Some environmental justice advocates say California's cap-and-trade program hasn't done anything to clean up the air in low-income communities like Wilmington, where refineries are located near residential neighborhoods. Maya Sugarman/KPCC hide caption
A visitor stands next to the U.S.-Mexico border fence at Friends of Friendship Park on Feb. 4 in San Ysidro, Calif. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption