Former EPA Region 2 Administrator Lisa Garcia Considers Environmental Justice
Lisa Garcia spent her summers in the South Bronx, where playgrounds had more cracked pavement and asphalt than grass.
“Literally no one I grew up with knew that there was actually a Bronx River,”
Garcia considered herself outdoorsy, despite the working-class neighborhood of Soundview having limited green spaces.
- The Bronx River, a 24-mile waterway and New York City's only freshwater stream, runs beneath the Bruckner Expressway and Sheridan Boulevard.
- Green spaces were scarce, squeezed between concrete.
Lisa Garcia's experiences shaped her perspective on environmental justice, particularly with the Trump administration in power.
Author's summary: Lisa Garcia's childhood in the South Bronx influenced her views on environmental justice.