▁rac ism . ▁“ Environment al ▁rac ism ▁refers ▁to ▁environmental ▁policies , ▁practices , ▁or ▁direct ives ▁that ▁differential ly ▁affect ▁or ▁dis adv antage ▁( wh ether ▁intention ally ▁or ▁un int ention ally ) ▁individuals , ▁groups , ▁or ▁communities ▁based ▁on ▁race ▁or ▁colour ”. ▁The ▁Environment al ▁justice ▁movement ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 , ▁in ▁Warren ▁County , ▁North ▁Carolina . ▁It ▁was ▁born ▁out ▁of ▁protest s ▁that ▁occurred ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁a ▁pol ych lor in ated ▁bi phen yl s ▁land fill , ▁which ▁was ▁located ▁in ▁Warren ▁County , ▁“ a ▁rural ▁area ▁in ▁n ort he astern ▁North ▁Carolina ▁with ▁a ▁majority ▁of ▁poor , ▁African - American ▁residents ”. ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁potential ▁for ▁ground water ▁cont am ination , ▁there ▁was ▁immense ▁back l ash ▁from ▁residents ▁and ▁“ pro test ers ▁argued ▁that ▁Warren ▁County ▁was ▁chosen , ▁in ▁part , ▁because ▁the ▁residents ▁were ▁primarily ▁poor ▁and ▁African - American ”. ▁The ▁protest s ▁resulted ▁in ▁ 5 0 0 ▁arr ests , ▁but ▁the ▁land fill ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁be ▁stopped . ▁ ▁An ▁example ▁of ▁environmental ▁rac ism ▁that ▁shows ▁the ▁en act ment ▁of ▁environmental ▁justice ▁and ▁re product ive ▁justice ▁is ▁the ▁Dak ota ▁access ▁pipeline ▁and ▁protest s ▁at ▁Stand ing ▁Rock . ▁The ▁Stand ing ▁Rock ▁Si oux ▁and ▁other ▁ind igen ous ▁tribes ▁have ▁been ▁protest ing ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁Dak ota ▁access ▁pipeline ▁and ▁subsequent ▁cont am