A/HRC/56/68/Add.1 31. “Cancer Alley” has been subjected to an onslaught of petrochemical and fossil fuel plants due to predatory land acquisition practices and zoning laws and decisions that have privileged commercial interests, to the exclusion of local residents. There has been a resulting displacement of many from their homes, communities and roots, as well as the large-scale extraction of resources and wealth from the local communities of African descent. The concentration and intensity of industrial activity has resulted in severe environmental degradation and pollution, has led to a high concentration of serious and life-threatening health conditions, including cancer, autoimmune diseases, maternal and neonatal health issues, skin diseases and respiratory illnesses. The Special Rapporteur was very shocked by reports that an 18-month-old baby of African descent, living in “Cancer Alley”, had already been exposed to nearly a recommended lifetime’s limit of exposure to one toxic chemical. Despite the extremely adverse and racially disparate effects of the petrochemical industry and the already intense concentration of factories in “Cancer Alley”, industrial projects continued to be planned in the region. The Special Rapporteur was deeply concerned by what she witnessed in the “Cancer Alley” region, as well as by reports of other manifestations of environmental racism. These include the Flint water crisis; the water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi; and proposals to destroy large parts of the South River Forest in Atlanta to make way for a large-scale police and fire department training facility, named the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center and sometimes referred to as “Cop City”. The Special Rapporteur is also concerned about reports of severe environmental contamination from commercial and military activities in areas of the overseas territories. This includes, for example, heavy environmental contamination in the island municipality of Vieques, Puerto Rico, following the Navy occupation between 1972 and 2003 and the lack of a subsequent clean-up, leading to significant negative impacts on the health of communities in Vieques. 32. The Special Rapporteur also received concerning information about how racially marginalized groups are disproportionately forced to live in areas where they have an increased risk of being exposed to natural disasters and extreme weather events, sometimes in addition to living with elevated exposure to high levels of pollution and contamination, because of systemic societal inequalities. Moreover, there have been stark racial disparities in policy for government assistance to victims of natural disasters, such as after Hurricane Katrina. 16 Racial and colonial dynamics have also contributed to the impact of natural disasters in certain areas, such as in response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and after the Maui fires and Kauaʻi floods in Hawaii. 33. The Special Rapporteur welcomes relevant measures taken by the federal Government, including Executive Order 14008, entitled Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, the setting up of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, and some of the reported work of the Environmental Protection Agency aimed at achieving environmental justice. H. Right to adequate food 34. Those from racially marginalized groups, including those of African descent, Latinos/Hispanics, Indigenous Peoples and those in the overseas territories experience food insecurity at disproportionate rates. For example, in 2022, one in five people of African descent in the United States experienced food insecurity and 29 per cent of children of African descent lived in food-insecure households. 17 The Special Rapporteur welcomes measures taken by the federal Government to address hunger and food insecurity, including the numerous food assistance programmes. She did, nevertheless, receive concerning reports about “food swamps”, geographical areas in which only poor-quality food is available, and “food deserts”, areas in which no food is available. The areas where those from racially marginalized groups live and work are disproportionately food swamps and food deserts, with serious consequences on health outcomes. 16 17 8 Carroll Doherty, “Remembering Katrina: wide racial divide over government’s response”, Pew Research Center, 27 August 2015. Feeding America, “Facts about hunger in Black communities”, available at https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/black-communities. GE.24-08027