First released in 2009, Zed Nelson’s educational documentary Shelter in Place–about environmental racism and unregulated emissions from Texas refineries—is as relevant as ever. Although Nelson’s documentary captures a particular moment in time, in which the predominantly African-American residents of Port Arthur took a stand against refineries in their community, the struggle it depicts for environmental justice is not yet over.
According to the climate journal Grist, Texas refineries have continued to release excessive amounts of chemical pollutants into the air without seeing consequences from state regulators. Shelter in Place, along with its teacher’s study guide, illuminates the cost of elevating these corporate entities’ monetary interests. That cost, as Port Arthur residents well know, is the health and well-being of human lives.
In Shelter in Place, Jim Marston of the Environmental Defense Fund describes Texas’ upset law as allowing refineries and petrochemical plants to release emergency emissions in the case of unexpected events. As there is no law limiting upset emissions, Texas companies are able to take advantage of the upset law to release tons of pollutants into the air in unscheduled emissions.
This is exactly what happens in Port Arthur, neighbor to two refineries. Resident Latasha Zamora describes the negative health effects for herself and her children of constantly breathing in contaminated air. It’s environmental racism and classism, Nelson’s educational documentary convincingly argues, that prevents Texas regulators from lifting a finger to help Latasha and her poverty-stricken, African-American community.
In the opinion of The Environmental Protection Agency’s Eric Schaeffer, regulators “just wouldn’t tolerate” chemical upsets if they happened next door to DC lobbyists and lawyers—and it’s an easy statement to understand when one looks at the stark lack of environmental justice for Port Arthur.
The personal experiences of Latasha and her fellow community members provide a strong backdrop to this educational documentary’s biting commentary on the law’s disregard for underprivileged communities. It’s not defeatist commentary, however. There are glimmers of hope for the subjects of Shelter in Place, particularly when they learn of Obama’s inauguration as the country’s first Black president. But the documentary is not at all naïve in its closing statements.
The battle for environmental justice—particularly against environmental racism—is ongoing. Zed Nelson’s Shelter in Place and its accompanying study guide, complete with discussion questions and supplemental material, are great primers for students of environmental studies. Highly recommended.
What academic subjects would this film be suitable for?
Zed Nelson’s educational documentary Shelter in Place examines how pollution disproportionately affects towns populated by people of color, even as it exposes the hypocrisy of Texas refineries that deny harm. The documentary and its study guide would be helpful learning tools for academic subjects such as environmental studies, activism, and human rights, African-American studies, Texas state history, ethics, and political science.
What type of library programming could use this title?
With its sharp focus on pollutants and environmental racism, Shelter in Place would make a great screener for library environmental and racial justice education programs.
How does this film contribute to a discussion of environmental or climate justice, and/or to environmental literacy?
This film shows how communities affected by toxic chemicals face enormous difficulties when they try to make their voices heard. To begin with, the overall health of the community members may be seriously compromised not only by the direct exposure to “upsets” and “chemical cocktails” but also by the lack of medical care and the chronic stress that comes from knowing that they and their children may suffer long-term damage from exposure to the pollution. This stress, in turn, makes residents more vulnerable.
When the community challenged the polluters and pointed to actual harm to their health from the unregulated emissions, the company demanded that they demonstrate a direct connection between their exposure to specific chemicals and their compromised health. While the cumulative effect of the pollution may be scientifically evident, it remains difficult to prove a causal relationship because individual responses will vary and the actual emissions are not documented.
Finally, the residents may find themselves stymied by the complex, frustrating, and sometimes intractable process of gaining a hearing, demonstrating damages, developing regulations, and implementing controls. Meanwhile, the pollution and stress continue at a high cost to the lives and health of these low-income residents. This unfair stalemate highlights the injustice that flows from the imbalance of power between corporate interests and local communities.
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An intimate portrait of a community battling against environmental pollution from Texas oil refineries and petrochemical plants.
Teacher's Guide
Curator | Amity Doolittle
Senior Lecturer and Research Scientist, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies
Why I selected this film
This documentary presents intimate stories of specific individuals living in the community adjacent to refineries in Corpus Christi and Port Arthur, Texas, who are exposed to toxic emissions from the petrochemical industry. The film maintains a balanced perspective by interviewing residents as well as company representatives and government officials.
However, by the end of the film, it becomes clear that companies are exploiting a legal loophole that allows them to release large quantities of unplanned emissions known as “upsets” without penalty while simultaneously denying that the emissions affect human health.
Meanwhile, local residents mount legal challenges to the emissions but are frustrated in their efforts to demonstrate a causal relationship between polluting industries and health problems, especially where there are multiple toxins involved.
Please see the teacher's guide for maps, background information and suggested subjects, questions and activities.
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