Capek S M
Department of Sociology, Hendrix College, Conway, AR 72032.
Int J Health Serv. 1992;22(4):729-46. doi: 10.2190/VV58-Y1C6-VEYM-KEMK.
This article examines the sociological significance of the concept of "environmental justice" for grassroots groups responding to toxic contamination in their local communities. Taking into account nationwide mobilization patterns in such communities, the author documents a precedent-setting episode in the city of Jacksonville, Arkansas, where citizen protests and support from national environmental groups led the Environmental Protection Agency to withdraw three Technical Assistance Grants inappropriately awarded to a group with links to a polluting industry, and subsequently to rewrite the rules for participation in such grants. As the first such challenge nationally, the Jacksonville scenario is an important "test case" and permits a theoretical and practical evaluation of the relationship between social groups, technology, and the governmental regulatory process. More particularly, it gives insight into the Technical Assistance Grants program, which was set up to enable citizens living close to contaminated sites to interpret and evaluate technical information relating to such sites, but which has been undercut by a weak EPA and cooptation efforts by industries. The article concludes with an exploration of the concept of community in relation to the new construction of environmental justice engaged in by grassroots groups fighting contamination locally and nationally.
本文探讨了“环境正义”概念对当地社区应对有毒污染的基层群体的社会学意义。考虑到此类社区的全国动员模式，作者记录了阿肯色州杰克逊维尔市的一个开创先例的事件，在那里，公民抗议以及全国性环境组织的支持促使美国环境保护局撤销了三项不当授予与污染行业有关联的团体的技术援助拨款，并随后重新制定了参与此类拨款的规则。作为全国首例此类挑战，杰克逊维尔事件是一个重要的“测试案例”，它使得对社会群体、技术和政府监管过程之间的关系进行理论和实践评估成为可能。更具体地说，它深入揭示了技术援助拨款计划，该计划旨在使居住在受污染场地附近的公民能够解读和评估与此类场地相关的技术信息，但却因美国环境保护局的软弱以及行业的拉拢行为而受到削弱。文章最后探讨了社区概念与基层群体在地方和全国层面抗击污染所进行的环境正义新构建之间的关系。
