Final answer:
(a) True, the first National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit in 1991 resulted in the creation of 17 principles of environmental justice, marking a pivotal moment in the recognition and action against environmental racism.
Step-by-step explanation:
In 1991, delegates to the first National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit did indeed draft and adopt 17 principles of environmental justice. This event marked a significant milestone in recognizing and addressing the disproportionate environmental burdens faced by communities of color.
The term environmental racism was coined earlier, in 1987 by Benjamin Chavis, to describe the practice of disproportionately siting hazardous waste facilities in minority neighborhoods. The issue highlighted concerns that, often, low-income and minority communities bear an inequitable share of environmental hazards.
The principles established at the Summit are foundational in guiding the environmental justice movement and affirm a commitment to ensuring that all communities, particularly marginalized ones, have the same degree of protection from environmental harms and equal access to decision-making processes.