Tainted water in the city of rain
Exploring environmental justice through the Portland Public School lead crisis
The thing I can’t get over is that they knew. I’d been drinking lead every day for 10 years, including while I was pregnant, and they said nothing
What happened?
My English teacher voiced her outrage quietly. We were less than a month shy of graduation when the news broke, and neither I nor my classmates knew how to react. We Portlanders have a special pride for our drinking water, so when it came to light that 99% of the city’s public schools had been dispensing dangerously high levels of lead –and covering it up– it felt both shocking and personal.
Notice the tagline of the Portland Water Bureau below. What does this imply about both the quality of Portland's water and its relationship to the environment?
Portland Oregon is commonly lauded as a leftist, eco-friendly paradise: a hub of activism and forward thinking with among the best park systems and watersheds in the nation. Less often discussed is the city’s centuries-long legacy of racial violence and discrimination, leading to its status today as the Whitest major city in America. Furthermore, the recent tech boom and influx of wealthy Californians have grown the city’s population by around 17% in the past decade, compounding existing issues of gentrification, segregation, and homelessness as Portland approaches its sixth consecutive year under a housing state of emergency.
While the overwhelming majority of Portland’s public school students (of whom 43% are considered a racial minority, and 38% qualify for free/reduced price lunch) endured years of unsafe drinking water, not one of the city’s 140-some private schools (with a minority composition of just 26%, and annual tuition averaging around $10,000) shared the experience. Even within the more diverse Portland Public Schools, BIPOC students have historically faced obstacles to their academic success, as showcased by a mere 19% of Black third graders passing the state standards compared to 68% of their white peers.
I love Portland, but it's far from perfect. Looking back, the lead crisis has given me a new perspective on my city and its relationship to the people who call it home. It's given me an opportunity to reflect upon what occurred in 2016, as well as the history of intersecting dysfunctional systems that enabled this tragedy to take place. In other words, I now notice things about Portland, its residents, and myself that I never had before. Our identities help define us, but can also blind us to challenges we don't face, and influence the questions we ask.
I was extremely lucky to have support and guidance from professors throughout my environmental justice journey. It is my hope that while exploring this StoryMap, you can also have the opportunity to see our cities –and ourselves– with new eyes. After all, if we truly love where we live, what better way to show that love than by taking this first step in fighting for social and environmental justice. Thank you for joining me.
But first, a little history
Who lives here?
Use these maps of Census data to examine the spatial distribution and demographic context of the 2016 Portland Public School (PPS) lead readings.
How to use these maps:
click, pan, and explore
Legend: Click this icon (lower left of the screen) to view the map's symbology
Search: Type a city name or zip code into the search bar to explore your own community
Click on a feature (in this case, census tract) to view additional information about that region. Scroll down on the pop-up to view graphs and other supplementary content.
Social Vulnerability Index
This map shows a community's social vulnerability according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control. Social vulnerability in this case is calculated using four metrics: socioeconomic status, household composition and disability, minority status and english language proficiency, and access to housing and transportation.
Given the highly pocketed nature of Portland’s neighborhoods, and the convoluted shapes of the public school districts, there is a great deal of racial and socioeconomic heterogeneity across schools.
Lead Levels
Each dot represents a Portland Public School, the 'redness' represents the intensity of lead, and the size of the dot relates to how many of the school's water sources were contaminated.
Click these buttons to overlay districting and demographic information
While no amount of lead is truly 'safe' to drink, the EPA has identified 15 parts per billion (ppb) as the threshold for immediate action. Does this change your perception of the values on the map?
Learn more about the EPA's Lead rules
Community Composition
Let's explore if and how the intensity of lead in each school relates to the population demographics of its student body.
The City of Rain
Rivers and waterways are defining characteristics of Portland, and are heavily used for drinking, recreation, and fishing. However, the lead crisis of 2016 was by no means the first time these water sources were contaminated.
Slide to view the water quality of Portland's creeks and tributaries
This is where Portland's Water is sourced
What does it mean when a city that's built an identity upon environmental and social justice is itself perpetuating social-ecological harm?
This contrast between Portland's external image and internal reality can make it difficult to acknowledge and address critical issues. However, by reflecting on these questions, we can approach intersectional harms with nuance and clarity. After exploring this StoryMap, has your perspective changed? How might we build a just, equitable, and sustainable urban future?
