Environmental justice in indigenous communities: The disproportionate effects of environmental contamination

Indigenous communities in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania (referred to as the northeastern United States) face disproportionate environmental pollution, with mortality rates 60 % higher than their white counterparts –an inequity that extends beyond formal recognition categories. While previous research has revealed pollution from facilities that cause severe health issues in Indigenous communities, broad geographic studies examining the spatial correlation between Environmental Justice (EJ) indicators and Indigenous populations remain limited. This study addresses this gap by examining contamination patterns across the northeastern United States, focusing on Superfund sites, drinking water violations, oil spills, and natural gas releases. Our analysis identified 21 Superfund contaminants disproportionately present in Indigenous communities and revealed that inequities are spatially clustered rather than random, reflecting historical legacies of dispossession and land use that continue to shape present-day exposures. Drinking water violations were not significantly associated with Indigenous communities, but oil spills and unintentional natural gas releases were, underscoring the role of energy sector environmental inequities. These findings highlight a critical gap in environmental governance; specifically, policies and permitting processes must move beyond recognition status and address the lived realities of Indigenous communities. By demonstrating the layered and persistent nature of contamination in Indigenous communities, we underscore the need for justice-oriented governance and remediation efforts to achieve environmental and public health equity for Indigenous communities.