Environmental Injustice Practices at Chevron Refineries

Environmental Injustice
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Environmental Injustice
Environmental injustice is a concept that subjects communities to a higher ecological risk level than other society segments in environmental studies. Accordingly, the idea of environmental risks tends to originate and develop from environmental effluents. These mainly comprise elements of emissions, wastes, and natural resource depletion. In different views, the development of environmental injustices originates from associated effects of company or organization activities (The University of Utah, 2020). Environmental research indicates that physical, chemical, or biological issues trigger environmental risks, leading to environmental injustice. In trying to highlight environmental injustice, the following project takes Chevron Refinery, which exposes the dangers of environmental destruction, toxic products, and natural habitat.
Environmental justice refers to the meaningful incorporation and fair treatment environmental of all persons despite their color, race, national origin, or income level concerning the development enforcement and implementation of the environmental policies, laws, and regulations (Collaborative on Health and the Environment, 2019). Justice tends to explore the destruction exposure of harm and toxic products that affects the human life, plants, and the organism in their natural surroundings. However, the environmental justice concept tends to confirm each employee's right to a safe and healthy working environment without selecting between unemployment and unsafe source of livelihood. On the other hand, environmental injustice tends to shed light on the exposure of hazards, destruction, and organisms in their habitats. In such light of understanding, environmental injustice tends to cut across large and small organizations and holds them accountable for t6heir corporate social responsibility to conserve and protect the environment. Cooperates have a dominant mandate to the responsibility of social responsibility. A critical segment of these elements is to ensure that they observe environmental justice in their communities. The constituents of corporate social responsibility involve a commitment to ensuring the natural environment's protection and preservation. Thus, they observe environmental regulations and standards by indulging in safe practices during their production or industrial activity.
Background Information on Chevron Refinery Case Study
The background information on environmental injustice is critical to reviewing the Chevron Refinery Case study. Studies on industry accidents reveal that 335 of the worst recorded cases occurred in Contra Costa County, California, since 1989. Accordingly, the accounts presented indicate that it remains a highly toxic and dangerous region of the world for human occupation (Usmani, 2014). The statistics provided by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) further point that contributions by companies operating in this region make it the eleventh worst area in the United States with severe toxic accidents reported. Chevron happens to be the worst industrial offender posing significant environmental injustice and risks to its industrial plants' population and natural habit.
The Environmental Injustice Practices Evidenced at Chevron Refineries
Chevron is an oil company recording more than 111 million pounds of toxic wastes, explosives, and corrosive chemicals. These emissions have a damaging effect on the natural environment, which includes natural resources. By far, Chevron records high emissions rates compared to other companies operating facilities in the Richmond region of California. The emission of the refinery's corrosive chemicals is critical as they target the significant population centers that mainly rely on natural resources for survival (Vaz, Anthony & McHenry, 2017). Chevron Refineries' environmental injustice element is that they release toxic chemicals into the immediate environment that endangers the lives of the local communities and California society in the Richmond regions.
The West County Toxics Coalition applied effective strategies to challenging Chevron Oil Refinery actions. Accordingly, the coalition tabled dominant issues with Chevron expressing concerns from the locals. They later lobbied with public officials in California as an alternative strategy to addressing the environmental pollution concern (Walker, 2010). After failing to deal with the matter effectively, they resorted to mobilizing locals in Richmond for mass actions to gain an audience to allow the company to help solve some of the issues resulting from the company's activities. These strategies exhibit some of the coalition's strengths and weak points, which may have rendered it ineffective to deal with the company.
The West County Toxics Coalition continues to instigate effective campaigns against the Chevron Refinery. The coalition is critical to change the approach to dealing with environmental issues, some that mainly face the Refinery Company. The claims raised against the oil company are that though they struggle to change their approach to dealing with environmental pollution issues, the refinery remains a threat to health safety and environmental stability (Abílio Ramos et al., 2017). The company's 250 000 barrels of crude oil produced is evidence of the health risks the company poses to the environment and environmental injustice for the immediate population.
The equity theory is also the distributive environmental injustice policy. Environmental literature expounds that the fairness to address environmental injustice issues is critical to ensure that a company like Chevron industries can deal with the related environmental problems yet remain objective in their practices to consider impacts to the overall community. This theory of theory has a significant impact on the social distribution of environmental outcomes that mainly assess crude oil refinery in the affected regions. The court case that affected the company in 1993 prompted the company to change its approach on the emission of toxic substances during their production stages. However, the company strategized to initiate plans to shift and change the chemical storage tanks, and they continued to face high criticism over their actions (Media Microphone, 2015). As the leader of multi-million oil companies, it remains to fail to adhere to some of the basic and critical principles of effective environmental conservation and protection plans accorded by the (United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP).
Further, the company fails to address the environmental injustice associated with the procedural approach that mainly deals with the decision-making aspect. The company's main environmental challenge is the thinking approach, which highly affects the dissemination and implementation of policies; these regard affirmative rationales. Oil refineries should protect the environment and its natural habitat.
Additionally, companies like Chevron protect against the associated health issues and risks that may develop during operation. The company's failure to make interventions on some of their practices is negligence on their mandates as a company. Predominant, as the company continues to record increasing toxin numbers, they remain to be irrelevant in their delivery aspect.
Chevron refineries continue to indulge in the refinery of crude oil in the Richmond region. The oil company has an objected projected in their vision and mission statement to support clean air acts. Despite their argument, the West County Toxics Coalition fails to support their mission and vision regarding these acts' support. Chevron is a multinational oil refinery company. It remains objective to dominate the oil industry by observing clean Air mandates.
Further, the company continues to advertise on primary strategies related to these missions and goals. However, the company's reality continues to damage the natural environment by emitting toxic and harmful gases into the atmosphere. The procedural approach is evident in the Chevron case as they fail to take initiates supporting some of their policy implementation actions. Therefore, the West County Toxics Coalition blames the company for failing to address the strategic issues of implementation and changing their production approach. In this regard, the company presents a narrative with adverse effects that reveal a health concern for the Richmond area people. Additionally, the Chevron case study shows corporate social and environmental irresponsibility and Richmond area people authorities' involvement for proper action.
The Argument for the Environmental Injustice Facing Chevron Refineries
Chevron Refineries case study is clear evidence that it continues to release toxic substances and harmful substances to the natural environment. This element of their industrial operations affects the local people's public health with the region of plant locations. Additionally, despite the company's narrative of policy change, it is clear that it remains to dominate the emission of high-level toxic chemicals harmful to the environment. This aspect of the dilemma is critical as it acts as the major stressors to the lives of the poor communities in Richmond, California.
The case facing Chevron Refineries involved the States of California. The example presented in these environmental injustice instances is procedural justice and justice as recognition (Media Microphone, 2015). The Refines violate significant elements of the provisions in the United States justice system and accords of standards. In detail, the oil company does adhere neither nor respects the bounds of the living and working in cl...