Social equity and environmental risk

Journal Article · Wed Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1993 · Risk Analysis; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1539-6924.1993.tb01327.x· OSTI ID:5063819

Zimmerman, R ^[1]

---

1. New York, Univ., New York, NY (United States)

Social equity has become an important concern of the environmental movement over the past decade. The equity issue is analyzed here for practically all of the inactive hazardous waste disposal sites on the National Priorities List (NPL) regulated under the Comprehensive Response Compensation and Liability Act and its 1986 Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (CERCLA/SARA). Two dimensions of equity are emphasized, namely, site location relative to the location of minority population and the distribution of cleanup plans or Records of Decision (ROD) across communities with NPL sites that have different socioeconomic characteristics. With respect to site location, the percentage of Blacks and Hispanics aggregated at the Census Place or MCD level in communities with NPL sites was greater than is typical nationwide (largely attributable to the concentration of minority populations in a few large urban areas with NPL sites). The percentage of the population below the poverty line in communities with NPL sites largely matched that of the nation as a whole. With respect to site cleanup, communities with relatively higher percentages of racial minority population have fewer cleanup plans than other communities with NPL site. Whether a ROD exists is influenced by when the site was designated for the NPL: sites designated earlier are more likely to have RODs and less likely to have high proportions of racial minority populations than sites designated later. This implies that initially the designation process may have resulted in NPL sites being located disproportionately in minority areas, but this pattern seems to be reversing itself in more recently designated sites. Racial and ethnic disproportionalities with respect to inactive hazardous waste site location seem to be concentrated in a relatively few areas. 35 refs., 12 tabs.

• OSTI ID: 5063819
• Journal Information: Risk Analysis; (United States), Vol. 13:6; ISSN 0272-4332
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
SITE SELECTION
DEMOGRAPHY
US SUPERFUND
SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS
BLACK AMERICANS
HISPANIC AMERICANS
LOW INCOME GROUPS
MINORITY GROUPS
REMEDIAL ACTION
RISK ASSESSMENT
SOCIOLOGY
WASTE MANAGEMENT
HUMAN POPULATIONS
INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS
LAWS
MANAGEMENT
POLLUTION LAWS
POPULATIONS
290202* - Energy Planning & Policy- Sociology- (1992-)
290300 - Energy Planning & Policy- Environment
Health
& Safety