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Environmental Sacrifice Zones Can Be Beacons of Clean Energy Investment

Summary

Ben Jealous, executive director of the Sierra Club, emphasizes the potential for clean energy investments in areas like Lower Richland County, South Carolina, which has historically been treated as an environmental sacrifice zone. Despite hosting important sites like Congaree National Park, the region faces pollution and health hazards due to unregulated dumpsites, a superfund site, and industrial plants, impacting its low-income, predominantly Black population. Jealous argues that Lower Richland could benefit significantly from clean energy investments under the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Initiatives such as a BMW electric vehicle battery plant and Bosch’s electric motor production facility are part of a $6.2 billion investment in South Carolina, offering economic growth and job creation. Jealous advocates for directing more of this investment to communities like Lower Richland, enabling job training, workforce development, and sustainable environmental progress.

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