The average life expectancy here lags behind those of Indiana and the U.S. In some families, it is uncommon to find a relative who has lived past 60.
Health care workers in Northwest Indiana see unusually high numbers of patients with breathing problems and heart conditions, and though no studies have conclusively linked the mills’ toxins to the general poor health of the community, the anecdotal evidence is abundant. Her friends with parents working there didn’t have to worry about their power being shut off in the middle of winter - unlike Troutman, who sometimes shivered in bed in her parka as she tried to fall asleep.īut by her mid-30s, she began to question the downside of that source of economic security. Growing up, Troutman thought of the steel mills simply as where the best jobs were. Until that happens, “it’s politics as usual.” ‘It matters how you keep them safe’ “We need, like, immediate right-now change,” Troutman said. She’s still waiting to see whether the president’s promise to address the socioeconomic and racial dimensions of environmental degradation will become reality. But now, President Joe Biden’s administration is considering a radical change in strategy - one that residents such as Troutman hope will put people’s health over businesses’ bottom lines. She also works in communications, specializing in grassroots environmental issues.įor decades, Washington and its environmental regulators have largely overlooked the struggles of communities like this one, where toxic pollution persists despite landmark laws like the 52-year-old Clean Air Act. She is an activist for environmental justice work with her local NAACP. La’Tonya Troutman works from her home in Michigan City, Indiana.
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