Group Members: Ashley Abraham, Brianna Naizir, Amir Stewart, Nicholas Randazzo, Fanny Ho, Minhal Mahmood

Not-so-FreshDirect: A Case Study on the Impact of FreshDirect on the South

Bronx and its Relation to Environmental Justice

About the Authors We are a group of Macaulay Honors College students at the City College of New York who are interested in the future of environmental justice in New York City. We decided to look into how the FreshDirect relocation relates to this larger concept and how the relocation will affect the community of Mott Haven. Acknowledgements We would like to thank Mychal Johnson, South Bronx Unite, and Friends of Brook Park for providing us with valuable community knowledge of the neighborhood and for introducing us to their waterfront plan. We would also like to thank Hillary Caldwell for guiding us through this process. Executive Summary Mott Haven is one of the several communities in NYC faced with environmental injustice. According to Harry Bubbins, a member of Friends of Brook Park in the South Bronx, “throughout the city, low-income communities of color with limited access to parks and the waterfront shoulder an unfair proportion of toxic facilities” (Bubbins 2016). These communities lack the voice they should receive in government planning, especially when companies such as FreshDirect try to move onto their community land. Organizations such as South Bronx Unite and Friends of Brook Park are here to change that. Mott Haven is polluted by several industrial companies and power plants that destroy the air quality in South Bronx, so much so that asthma rates are eight times the average, asthma hospitalizations are twenty times the average, and asthma deaths are three times the average. Using data from the census and studies based in the South Bronx, we discovered the reason behind the excessive cases of asthma: an elevated state of fine particles in the air. FreshDirect’s move to the South Bronx would rid the community of what little public space they have, and the increase in trucks and fumes would devastate the already poor air quality. To prevent or mitigate this issue, we suggest the implementation of the Mott Haven-Port Morris Waterfront Plan that provides green space to residents and protects the community from potential storm surge flooding. Boroughs should also have a limit on the number of power plants and companies with diesel trucks allowed within the community. Additionally, future agreements involving a community should include community members, preventing the occurrence of top-down planning. These methods should allow low-income communities such as Mott Haven to slowly recover from environmental issues that they should not have dealt with in the first place.

Introduction and Background According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), environmental justice is defined as “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies” (US EPA, n.d.) The environmental justice movement mobilized in the United States during the 1980s, targeting the issues surrounding the intentional perpetuation of “environmental racism”. The movement began in Warren County, North Carolina, but quickly found its way to New York City, a location of high pollution and income inequality. The major goal of the environmental justice movement is to address the fact that the most polluted communities - not only in New York City, but also nationally - tend to be communities of color, which are intentionally chosen to host environmentally harmful facilities. This type of inequality is currently happening in the South Bronx.

The development of the South Bronx community started during the Great Migration, when African Americans from the rural south migrated to the urban north during the early 1900s. In 1914, around the start of World War I, African American workers were in high demand for their cheap labor in industry. However, these workers were forced to live in poor, run-down areas due to segregation and racism. According to Tom Angotti in “New York for Sale: Community Planning Confronts Global Real Estate,” the real estate market institutionally established racism in the housing market. With tactics such as racial steering and blockbusting, the real estate market was able to segregate areas of New York City. This caused the South Bronx to become a predominantly poor neighborhood inhabited by minorities. Thus, real estate prices in the area decreased, which prompted more industry to come to the South Bronx since land prices were cheap.

Heavily industrial areas are not generally environmentally friendly, and the situation in the South Bronx is no exception. At this point in time, there are a waste distribution station, a FedEx depot, fossil fuel facilities, a Con Edison power plant, multiple storage warehouses, a metal depot, a distillery, the New York Post’s headquarters, and numerous other industrial facilities located in the South Bronx. Furthermore, many of these facilities are located on the waterfront. As a result of this, there is very little open space; there are less than 10 square feet of open space per person. “Open space” includes public parks, fields, playgrounds, et cetera. This lack of open space has made the South Bronx, and indeed the entire borough, one of the least healthy places in New York. There is an epidemic of obesity in the South Bronx, and asthma rates there are also among the highest in New York. Now, FreshDirect, a service that allows people to shop online for groceries and have them delivered, is planning to move its headquarters to the South Bronx. The citizens of the South Bronx were not consulted about this decision, and it turns out that many of them are opposed to the move. Their discontent stems mostly from the fact that all of the FreshDirect trucks traveling throughout the neighborhood will make the air quality even worse than it already is. This could increase the asthma rate even more. Also, most South Bronx residents cannot afford the expensive grocery delivery service, so they will not be able reap what little benefit exists in bringing FreshDirect to the neighborhood.

The FreshDirect issue is a clear case of environmental racism. The community of minorities in the South Bronx was forced into accepting a corporation that would further pollute their air without being consulted. South Bronx Unite is a community organization that is dedicated to providing environmental justice to the South Bronx. They fight the environmental racism occurring there now, and aside from fighting FreshDirect, their long term goal is to create more open space. Their waterfront plan aims to reclaim the South Bronx waterfront for the people rather than handing it over to the large corporations that pollute the air. South Bronx Unite exemplifies the environmental justice movement as a whole since their goal is to have the entire community involved in environmental decision-making; this is consistent with the EPA’s definition of environmental justice. Research Methods A variety of research methods are necessary when complying data to obtain a complete understanding of the relocation of FreshDirect to the South Bronx. Secondary online research was conducted to learn about FreshDirect’s actions and how it specifically affects the South Bronx. Community Health Profiles compared public health data of Mott Haven in the Bronx to that of New York City. A research study conducted in the South Bronx from 2002 to 2005 was also utilized to study the air-quality of asthmatic children. Participant observation was conducted by Amir, Brianna, Nick, and Fanny on March 26. They were able to connect with the residents of the South Bronx and immerse themselves in the community to get a holistic view of the situation from their perspective. On April 16, Amir, Minhal, and Brianna conducted informal interviews on waterfront tour with the community contact, Mychal Johnson, and residents that are passionate about the impact FreshDirect has on the environment. Research Findings

One major research finding was derived from secondary research using Community Health Profiles that compare public health data of Mott Haven in the Bronx to the entirety of New York City. After assessing this data, an overarching theme that was found was the fact that the difference in the amount of air pollution in this neighborhood is significantly higher than that in New York City as a whole. Mott Haven’s levels of fine particles in the air is 10 micrograms per cubic meter, while areas like Far Rockaway have 7.6 micrograms per cubic meter, and the New York City average is 8.6 micrograms per cubic meter. The statistics pertaining to hospitalizations due to asthma in Mott Haven are striking as well. According to the Mott Haven Community Profiles, the child asthma hospitalizations are the highest in all of New York City, adding up to 112 (per 10,000 children), while the New York City average is 36. The case for adult asthma hospitalizations is similar. Compared to the New York City average of 249 per 100,000 adults, Mott Haven has a rate of 749. The current state of the air quality in Mott Haven is subpar, as compared to other neighborhoods-typically of higher income- in the city. One may deduce that Mott Haven has fallen victim to environmental racism, due to the fact that statistics reveal that it has among the highest air pollution rates in the city while being the third-poorest neighborhood in New York City. The poverty rate in Mott Haven is 43%, as compared to the

average rate of 21% for the entire city. Statistics from the Mott Haven Community Health Profiles have verified the current residents’ concerns about their current air quality. Not only does the air in the neighborhood seem more chemically polluted, but also government statistics have proven that the air quality in the neighborhood is indeed in far poorer condition than the rest of the city.

Figure 1: The graph above displays the statistics pertaining to air pollution in Mott Haven, as compared to other New York City neighborhoods, and New York City as a whole.

Figure 2: The graph above displays data on children (per 10,000) and adult (per 100,000) hospitalizations in Mott Haven and New York City as a whole.

Figure 3: The figure above displays the data for the percentage of Mott Haven and New York City populations that live in poverty. In addition to secondary data research, significant research findings were retrieved from primary research, which utilized community knowledge from contact with “South Bronx Unite”.

An interview with Mychal Johnson (shown in the picture to the left), founder of South Bronx Unite, provided direct insight into the issues plaguing the South Bronx. Johnson stressed the importance of spreading awareness of “environmental racism”, a phenomenon in which undesirable land uses are intentionally concentrated in neighborhoods of color. These neighborhoods are exploited and made to house environmentally harmful (often industrial) facilities. Through “South Bronx Unite,” Johnson explains that his main goals are addressing the concerns of

the South Bronx’s air pollution, lack of public green space, and lack of community input in the neighborhood’s urban planning. According to Mychal Johnson, the creation of public green space would mitigate many of the major issues that are currently troubling the South Bronx. A number of health issues including cancer, heart attacks, and asthma stem from the high levels of fine particles from nearby industrial facilities that pollute the air. Johnson stated that creating green space would not only improve air quality, but also quality of life. “In the U.S., there is approximately 106 square feet of green space per person”, Johnson explains, “but in the South Bronx, there is only 6 square feet per person.” The South Bronx only has one park, which is completely concrete. By creating green space that is available to the public, Johnson states that the quality of life for the current residents would greatly increase. In addition, green space is also essential for health reasons as well. “The neighborhood has very high obesity and diabetes rates, due to the lack of public space. There is only one park and public housing, which is all surrounded by fences”, Mychal Johnson explains. Johnson also discusses the importance of green space to address potential environmental concerns. Due to the fact that Mott Haven is on the waterfront, it is at risk for flooding during storms. Johnson says that there is no current flood mitigation system, which is extremely dangerous for the residents of the neighborhood. By creating public space with vegetation and greenery, an environmentally friendly flood mitigation system would be created as a result as well. Mychal Johnson stressed the importance of the creation of green space for the quality of life, quality of air, health, and safety of the residents of the South Bronx. Johnson also stressed the importance of raising awareness of environmental racism in order to achieve a more democratic system of urban development within the community. According to Mychal Johnson, the plan to relocate FreshDirect was finalized with absolutely no community input. The public hearing concerning the issue took place two days after the plan was confirmed. Johnson desires to gain the ability to implement his organization’s plan for the waterfront, which will only be achievable with a more democratic planning system. Mychal

Johnson provided not only expert opinions on the best methods to solve the South Bronx’s current issues, but also insight into the consequences of FreshDirect’s relocation from the perspective of a concerned resident.

According to the New York Times article, the South Bronx is home to some of the highest asthma rates in the city. Ten asthmatic children from each of four public schools in the South Bronx were given backpacks that contained air filters, pumps, and other equipment. They reported to researchers twice a day for a month to have the equipment in their backpacks analyzed. Vans parked near the schools acted as air-monitoring labs. The study found that the average daily exposure to fine-particle pollution exceeded the E.P.A.’s standard of 35µg/cubic cm. This type of pollution is characterized by dust, soot, and smoke particles that are less than 2.5µm in diameter. Due to their small size, the particles lodge themselves deep in the lungs, causing decreased lung function, respiratory problems, and aggravated asthma. E.P.A. officials estimate that these kinds of particles lead to 15,000 premature deaths per year.

The study suggested that 5-10% of the fine particle pollution came from diesel exhaust, and it was this small percentage that contributed the most to the children’s asthma symptoms. Dr. Thurston, one of the researchers, said that the asthma symptoms doubled on days when pollution from traffic was the highest. This is a major issue given that four expressways runs through or around the South Bronx. The fumes are a factor in the development of asthma in children; this is clear from the fact that the Bronx has abnormally high asthma rates. The fumes then aggravate the asthma after the children develop it. This vicious cycle will only be made worse by FreshDirect’s arrival in the South Bronx because of the trucks, and therefore fumes, that they will bring.

New Yorkers for Parks (NY4P), an organization advocating for quality parks and open spaces, conducted a study of the parks and open spaces in Mott Haven. NY4P created the Open Space Index (OSI) to evaluate the open spaces in neighborhoods and to determine a neighborhood’s strengths and needs. Open space is divided into two categories: active open space and passive open space. Active open space is a place for recreational sports, exercise, and play. Active open space is further broken down into four subcategories: playgrounds, fields, courts, and recreation centers. Passive open space is a place for relaxation, strolling, socializing, and experiencing the outdoors. NY4P concluded that “there is not enough open space in Mott Haven to accommodate the needs of the neighborhood.” While Mott Haven met the OSI standards for playgrounds, athletic fields, and courts, these recreational facilities are located in small parks and cannot accommodate the neighborhood of over 46,000 residents. The neighborhood also met the OSI standard for community gardens, but these gardens are small and the passive open space cannot accommodate the neighborhood. Overall, the total open space in Mott Haven fails to meet the OSI standard.

Figure 4: The figures above show the breakdown of open space in Mott Haven. Mott Haven also fails the OSI standard for access and distance to a park. There are three types of parks: pocket parks, neighborhood parks, and large parks. Pocket parks are less than one acre and have one or two features. Neighborhood parks are between one and twenty acres and have a broader range of recreational activities. Large parks are greater than twenty acres and have a wide variety of active and passive activities. Every New Yorker should live within a 10-minute walk of a park, but that isn’t the case. A majority of residents have access to a type of park, but only half are within walking distance of St. Mary’s Park, the only large park in the neighborhood. The lack of open space and accessibility to parks may be part of the reasons why Mott Haven residents get less physical activity than the rest of New York City residents and why residents have higher obesity and diabetes rates. Figure 5: The figures below show the percentages of residents within walking distance to each type of park.

Political Context

FreshDirect was originally based in Long Island City, in Queens, NY. They outgrew their Long Island City headquarters, however, and needed to move to a larger facility. Originally, they planned to move to New Jersey, which offered the company a subsidy package. New York City officials, however, did not want to lose FreshDirect, so they offered the company an even larger subsidy package, namely, $128 million worth of money and tax breaks, the majority of which is tax breaks (Kochman, 2014). They plan to build a 500,000 square foot facility in Mott Haven. FreshDirect co-founder Jason Ackerman was excited about the move, saying, “This is our new home, and I am so excited to come to the South Bronx” (Hu, 2014). South Bronx residents, however, were less enthusiastic, since the company would bring with it over one hundred delivery trucks. Introducing a fleet of delivery trucks will increase pollution and overcrowding in the neighborhood. This South Bronx neighborhood already “logs asthma rates among the city’s highest,” and adding these delivery trucks to the streets will only exacerbate the situation (Kochman, 2014). The residents of Mott Haven are upset about the FreshDirect relocation, since they already deal with subpar air quality. According to an article by Suzanne Jacobs, New York University researchers conducted an air quality study in the South Bronx between 2002 and 2005. They attached air pollution monitors to the backpacks of asthmatic children, and the researchers found that the air quality was not good, and in some cases, diesel emissions occasionally exceeded the safe limit set by the EPA. Some South Bronx residents have united against FreshDirect because the move will further depreciate the area’s air quality. They have staged protests and enacted lawsuits against the corporation in hopes of stopping them, but FreshDirect recently broke ground in the South Bronx and have thus begun the process of building their new facility. Borough president Ruben Diaz Jr. disagrees with the dissenters, saying that FreshDirect will be good for the South Bronx because of the jobs the company is bringing. Nonetheless, South Bronx citizens are still fighting the company because the 1,000 jobs that FreshDirect will supposedly bring will not pay well at all (Jacobs, 2015). The company recently negotiated a new contract with its employees that will raise their hourly average wage from $10.50 to $12.25 over the course of two years (Fermino, 2014). South Bronx residents do not believe that the poorly paying jobs brought by FreshDirect are worth the decrease in air quality that the company will also bring. Policy Recommendations

The foremost recommendation that we have is that FreshDirect’s move to the South Bronx should be prevented. We have already proved that Mott Haven is facing levels of air pollution that are much higher than seen anywhere else in New York City. As a result, the community’s asthma rates have been disproportionately larger with three times as many asthma hospitalizations occurring than in the rest of the city. It is a must that FreshDirect not be allowed to move its headquarters to a community already heavily burdened with both environmental and health issues.

That is our most immediate concern but there are many other steps needed to fix the injustices occurring in the South Bronx. First, the city should provide $2 million in funding to South Bronx Unite. More than just protesting FreshDirect’s move, the organization has actively sought to transform their community with their proposed Waterfront Plan. Mott Haven suffers from a lack of a green spaces as well as inaccessibility to the surrounding waterfront. The plan envisioned by South Bronx Unite will solve both issues by developing multiple sites along the shore. For instance, one site will be the future home of the Bronx Kill Waterfront Park. It will provide much needed green space as well as access to the Bronx Kill strait, historically only accessed by canoers and kayakers from the Randall’s Island side. Funding of this plan will serve to counter many of the problems faced by the community. While this initial step will help reduce the apparent effects of unfairly distributed land uses, there are minor steps that can be taken to stop this uneven distribution. Mott Haven is simply littered with different facilities, such as waste management plants and power plants, and their large number of diesel trucks. The city needs to impose rules that strikes a balance in the placement of these different facilities. Each of the five boroughs should only process 20% of the city’s total garbage. There should be restrictions on both the number of and occupied area of power plants in any one community district. Lastly in this regard, the number of industries with diesel truck fleets should be capped in each neighborhood. By implementing these rules, low-income communities (in the Bronx and the rest of the city) can stop being made to suffer for higher-income communities’ total comfort. Lastly, how we got to such a point that a slice of Mott Haven can be handed over to FreshDirect needs to be analyzed. The move was confirmed and the subsidies agreed upon by parties in the company and the New York government before the Mott Haven community could even get a say in at the sole public hearing. The democratic process for decisions regarding public land usage needs to be changed. The city needs to establish a committee involving South Bronx Unite members and other people in the Mott Haven community to make informed decisions on how the public land that they are sitting on can be used. This can also be done with other communities, but it essential in Mott Haven given the current circumstances. Conclusion

Environmental injustice is a serious issue that currently lacks awareness. The environmental justice movement addresses the fact that the South Bronx, a community of color, is chosen to have environmentally harmful facilities. The introduction of industry into a neighborhood increases pollution, which elevates asthma rates, and decreases the amount of open space, promoting obesity. The FreshDirect relocation, a decision made without the input of the community, introduces more trucks and air pollution into the neighborhood that would most likely not be able to afford their services.

South Bronx Unite formed as a force against FreshDirect to stage protests and enact lawsuits against them in order to stop the relocation. They propose a waterfront plan to utilize the waterfront as public space instead of a corporation that will further disadvantage the residents in

the South Bronx. They do not only work to improve the environment, but also the quality of life of those living in the South Bronx.

The city has the power to begin the process to undo the damage in the South Bronx caused by environmental racism. FreshDirect must be stopped in their tracks and moved to a location with less environmental and health problems. Funding for South Bronx Unite can give them the resources that will allow them to bring more awareness to the situation, educate residents on the issues, and take an active role in the transformation of their community into a cleaner, safer place. This will help bring justice to a low-income community and give them the opportunity to voice their needs. References Angotti, T. (2008). New York for Sale: Community Planning Confronts Global Real Estate. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. Bubbins, Harry. “Op-ed: When It Comes to Environmental Justice, Communities Know Best.” Mott Haven Herald. 22 Feb. 2016. Web. 28 Apr. 2016 Fermino, Jennifer. "EXCLUSIVE: FreshDirect Gives Unionized Employees Pay Hikes over Coming Years, Cheaper Benefits." Daily News. 06 Sept. 2014. Web. 19 Mar. 2016. Hu, Winnie. "FreshDirect Breaks Ground in the South Bronx, Prompting Protests." The New York Times. 22 Dec. 2014. Web. 19 Mar. 2016. Jacobs, Suzanne. "The South Bronx Isn’t Falling for FreshDirect’s Dirty Trucks." Grist. 10 Mar. 2015. Web. 19 Mar. 2016. King L, Hinterland K, Dragan KL, Driver CR, Harris TG, Gwynn RC, Linos N, Barbot O, Bassett MT. Community Health Profiles 2015, Bronx Community District 1: Mott Haven and Melrose; 2015; 13(59):1-16. Kochman, Ben. "FreshDirect Finally Breaks Ground on Distribution Center in the Bronx." Daily News. 22 Dec. 2014. Web. 19 Mar. 2016. New Yorkers for Parks. (2014). Mott Haven. Retrieved April 30, 2016, from http://www.ny4p.org/research/osi/Mott-Haven-OSI.pdf US EPA. (n.d.). Environmental Justice. Retrieved April 29, 2016, from https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice