Siting of a Power Plant in Bayview-Hunters Point, California
Case Number: SLS No. 98-031
Title: Siting of a Power Plant in Bayview-Hunters Point, California
Case Files:
Author: Flora Y. F. Chu, Lecturer; Barton H. (“Buzz”) Thompson, Jr., Robert E. Paradise Professor of Natural Resources Law
Abstract: This case study looks at the scientific and health concerns that a community raised in opposition to the siting of a power plant at Bayview Hunters Point, an impoverished Bay Area community of color plagued by multiple environmental problems. It ties together a number of issues raised in earlier studies, including the appropriate role of lawyers and scientists in addressing environmental justice issues in the legal and political arena.
Key Words: Environmental justice, environmental equity, distributive justice, equal protection, particulates, health hazards of power plants, community organizing, community participation, facility siting.