Thread by @WaterPotential

I'm grateful for those of you who follow my work here. I love tweeting about #hydrology, but I also tweet about #environmentaljustice & the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (#ACPipeline). This 10-Tweet thread briefly explains why. 1/10

I am #Lumbee. My ancestors have lived in what is now #EasternNC since time immemorial. Most of my large, extended family lives in Robeson County, NC - the heart of Lumbee community & culture. I've written some on Lumbee+Hydrology & plan to write more. 2/10
academic.oup.com/envhis/article…

Here's a recent @wpmagazine piece (not by me) about Lumbee people. It's a good entry point AND has stunning photos, but it's a little weak on distinctions btw race & citizenship. For deeper dives, read works of historian @malindalowery. 3/10
washingtonpost.com/news/style/wp/…

In late 2016, federal regulators released a draft environmental impact statement for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (#ACPipeline), major shale gas infrastructure slated to cross #Lumbee territory & territories of 3 other tribes in present-day #EasternNC. 4/10
science.sciencemag.org/content/357/63…

This info was not disclosed in the body of the environmental report; however, 2010 US Census data in the *21st* appendix show 30,000 American Indians living along the pipeline route, almost entirely (>95%) in NC, mostly (>75%) in Robeson County, & therefore mostly #Lumbee. 5/10

To put the 30k number in context, consider there are:

1) Approx. 120k American Indians in all of NC, &
2) Approx. 60k Lumbees.

So ~1 in 4 of NC's American Indians & at least 1 in 3 Lumbees live along the pipeline route. Link has more on NC tribes.
6/10
mediahub.unc.edu/hidden-history…

Despite requests by tribal governments & others, regulators:

1) Didn't disclose & discuss #environmentaljustice implications of over-representation of American Indians along the #ACPipeline, &

2) Didn't engage directly w/ tribal governments to understand/document impacts.

7/10

The story is complicated, but in summary, neither issue has been addressed in ~2.5 years since first alarms were raised. As a result, the final Environmental Impact Statement & other regulatory documents lack info & discussion on #ACPipeline's impacts to tribes (a big deal).
8/10

Irrespective of intent, numbers show that #ACPipeline infrastructure targets American Indian tribes & other marginalized communities (#UnionHill). State, tribal, & national bodies have standing resolutions calling for suspension of permits until meaningful engagement occurs.
9/10

Regulatory filings, news, & PR campaigns (e.g., #buildtheACP) are - at best - incomplete w/o this info. So I use my privilege & data chops to fill gaps, helping ensure Indigenous peoples & marginalized groups aren't erased from the #ACPipeline & other environmental stories.
10/10