Low-Income Residents and People of Color in Maine Are Living Near Chemical Dangers - Chemical dangers are real, and potentially dangerous facilities are scattered across Maine. Maine’s 38 high-risk facilities are dotted across the state, with most plants located near Portland and

Microsoft Word - Maine.docx Low-Income Residents and People of Color in Maine Are Living Near Chemical Dangers The Center for Effective Government graded states based on the dangers faced by people of color and residents with incomes below the poverty line living within one mile of dangerous facilities, compared to white and non-poor people in these areas. [...] ● Children of color under age 12 are more than twice as likely to live to live in the shadow of a hazardous chemical facility compared to white kids in Maine. [...] Are people of color and low-income residents of Maine safe from chemical hazards? More than 15 percent of black residents live in fenceline communities, compared to only four percent of white residents – meaning blacks are nearly four times more likely to live near chemical hazards than whites. [...] Inequities in Likelihood of Living in a Fenceline Community Racial Inequities Score Grade Income (Poverty) Inequities Score Grade Percentage of People of Color Who Live in Fenceline 8.8% C Percentage of Poor People Who Live in Fenceline 6.1% B Likelihood of People of Color to Live in Fenceline (compared to whites) 2.1 times more likely F Likelihood of Poor People to Live in Fenceline (compared to. [...] You can also demand that the federal government require facilities to switch to safer chemicals and alternatives whenever feasible and urge the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and federal OSHA to conduct more thorough and frequent inspections to spot problems before they cause disasters.