Bhopal, India Catastrophe: December 2nd – 4th, 1984, the Union Carbide/Dow chemical plant in Bhopal, India exploded, killing tens of thousands of people instantly and leaving hundreds of thousands with lasting illnesses (The Bhopal Medical Appeal).
Bioaccumulation: When manmade persistent toxic chemicals in air and water are taken in by fish and animals and then ingested by people, they accumulate in their bodies (Justice Laws Canada).
Cancer Alley: The coastal area from Texas through Louisiana with more than 100 chemical plants located in predominantly African American, Indigenous, or Latino communities (University of Texas).
Chemical Valley: The area around Sarnia, Ontario, where petrochemical plant emissions are linked to detrimental health impacts among Indigenous communities living next to them (McGill University).
Disinfectant By Products (DBPs): Chemicals that form when chlorine is used for disinfecting drinking water to prevent disease. The chlorine reacts with decaying organic matter, like leaves or vegetation, from lakes and rivers to form DBPs. Two of the most common types of DBPs found in chlorinated drinking water are trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs) (Indigenous Services Canada).
Environmental Justice: Environmental justice embraces the principle that all people and communities have a right to equal protection and equal enforcement of environmental laws and regulations (Robert Bullard).
Fenceline Communities: People living next to toxic emitting facilities such as petrochemical plants, landfills, and manufacturing companies (Tulane Environmental Law Journal).
National Pollutant Release Inventory: Environment and Climate Change Canada’s database for toxic emissions reporting.
Persistent Organic Pollutant (POPs) Chemicals: Manmade toxic chemicals that last a long time and travel north on wind and water, contaminating Indigenous communities in the Arctic (Government Canada).
Sacrifice Zones: Areas where companies and government authorities ignore harm to communities near toxic emission facilities (Ryan Juskas).
Toxic Release Inventory (TRI): U.S. EPA database repository for corporations reporting toxic emissions.