Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Racial Inequality In The Distribution Of Hazardous Waste: A National-Level Reassessment, Paul Mohai, Robin Saha

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

National-level studies examining racial disparities around hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities have been very influential in defining the academic and political debates about the existence and importance of "environmental injustice." However, these studies tend to employ methods that fail to adequately control for proximity between environmentally hazardous sites and nearby residential populations. By using GIS and applying methods increasingly used in environmental inequality research that better control for proximity, we conduct a comprehensive reassessment of racial inequality in the distribution of the nation 's hazardous waste facilities. We compare the magnitude of racial disparities found with those of …