Event Title
Location
Parker-Reed, SSWAC
Start Date
30-4-2015 2:00 PM
End Date
30-4-2015 3:55 PM
Project Type
Poster
Description
This project analyzes potential areas of environmental injustice on a census tract level throughout Florida. Data on race and median household income were compiled into ArcGIS 10.2.2 along with Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) locations to determine if communities with low income or large minority population are disproportionately exposed to sources of heavy pollution. Statistical tests found that high minority and low income census tracts were more likely to be within two miles of a TRI site and that census tracts containing two or more TRI sites had significantly lower median household incomes than census tracts with only one or fewer TRI sites. An examination of Gadsen county revealed that several high-minority population census tracts disproportionately contain or are located near TRI sites. Additional studies examining water and air quality, as well as examining exposure to hazardous chemicals from superfund sites or underwater storage tanks would be beneficial for the assessment of environmental injustice in Florida.
Faculty Sponsor
Philip Nyhus
Sponsoring Department
Colby College. Environmental Studies Program
CLAS Field of Study
Interdisciplinary Studies
Event Website
http://www.colby.edu/clas
ID
1402
Included in
Examining Environmental Injustice in Florida
Parker-Reed, SSWAC
This project analyzes potential areas of environmental injustice on a census tract level throughout Florida. Data on race and median household income were compiled into ArcGIS 10.2.2 along with Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) locations to determine if communities with low income or large minority population are disproportionately exposed to sources of heavy pollution. Statistical tests found that high minority and low income census tracts were more likely to be within two miles of a TRI site and that census tracts containing two or more TRI sites had significantly lower median household incomes than census tracts with only one or fewer TRI sites. An examination of Gadsen county revealed that several high-minority population census tracts disproportionately contain or are located near TRI sites. Additional studies examining water and air quality, as well as examining exposure to hazardous chemicals from superfund sites or underwater storage tanks would be beneficial for the assessment of environmental injustice in Florida.
https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/clas/2015/program/29