Is Environmental Justice Good for White Folks?

Michael Ash (), James K. Boyce (), Grace Chang () and Helen Scharber ()
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Michael Ash: University of Massachusetts Amherst
James K. Boyce: University of Massachusetts Amherst
Grace Chang: University of Massachusetts Amherst
Helen Scharber: University of Massachusetts Amherst

UMASS Amherst Economics Working Papers from University of Massachusetts Amherst, Department of Economics

Abstract: This paper examines spatial variations in exposure to toxic air pollution from industrial facilities in urban areas of the United States, using geographic microdata from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators project. We find that average exposure in an urban area is positively correlated with the extent of racial and ethnic disparity in the distribution of the exposure burden. This correlation could arise from causal linkages in either or both directions: the ability to displace pollution onto minorities may lower the effective cost of pollution for industrial firms; and higher average pollution burdens may induce whites to invest more political capital in efforts to influence firms’ siting decisions. Furthermore, we find that in urban areas with higher minority pollution-exposure discrepancies, average exposures tend to be higher for all population subgroups, including whites. In other words, improvements in environmental justice in the United States could benefit not only minorities but also whites. JEL Categories: P16, Q53, Q56, R3.

Keywords: Environmental justice; air pollution; industrial toxics; Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010-07
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-env and nep-ure
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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