The study, Navajo-Hopi Struggle, is located at the Big Mountain, Nevada on a Navajo-Hopi reservation. The Peabody Ming Co is trying to expand their mining territory by 13,800 acres into the Big Mountain area, thus relocating the 300 families residing in the area because there is $10 million worth of coal there. This is intruding on the residents and would have a negative effect on the environment. Water supply is at a shortage in the American south-west, and the transportation of the coal will drastically deplete the supply even more. This water shortage will make necessary agriculture and livestock cultivation nearly impossible for the Native American communities. This relates to the module with environmental justice. This is supposed to provide them a right to a clean safe environment, however Native Americans are a minority which statistically puts them at a disadvantage. Also, this relates to sustainable development discussed in the module. Coal is a fossil fuel and not a sustainable energy source. Therefore, If Peabody wins, eventually environment will be damaged just to collect an unrenewable form of energy.  http://www.umich.edu/~snre492/parker.html

My second case study takes place in Bokoshe, Oklahoma, which is a small town being jeopardized by a coal ash dump site. Making Money Having Fun LLC is responsible for the massive amounts of hazardous powdery coal ash containing large amounts of lead, mercury, and arsenic being dumped in an uncontrolled manor. This toxic waste is causing landscape degradation, water and air pollution in the environment. It is also spreading harmful diseases and radiation to the population. This relates to end uses described in the module, because this is the final destination of the coal ash. However, this is unsafe and harmful the the surrounding area and residents. This also relates to sustainable development. This ash-coal is an unrenewable form of energy that could potentially cause waste overflow and further environmental and heath damages. http://ejatlas.org/conflict/coal-ash-dump-site-in-bokoshe-ok

Both of the cases are more rural than my hometown of West Chester, Pennsylvania (outside of Philadelphia) but PA is the 4^th biggest coal energy producing state which directly relates to both articles. My county is especially having environmental justice issues in Chester, a town close to mine. Since the 1980’s Chester has been affected by toxic waste treatment facilities, with affects much like the ones described in the other two articles. Although Chester doesn’t involve coal, the toxic waste is causing water and air pollution, and health problems like low birth rates. The Chester area is predominantly African-American and the issue of environmental racism has been a controversial argument for years, much like the Navajo—Hopi struggle.  Like both articles, the toxic waste treatment plants in Chester are not sustainable developments. From what I learned, in order to make Chester and West Chester more environmentally safe we must find a sustainable energy and waste system. This is a global issue as well because our current reliance on unrenewable energy sources are harmful and diminishing.