National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis

The issue of environmental equity refers to whether the burden of environmental pollution is borne evenly across society, and more specifically, to whether racial minority and low-income communities bear a disproportionate share of exposure to pollution and environmental risk. Previous studies on the subject, conducted at a variety of scales, offer conflicting evidence regarding the importance of race and income in the relationship with environmental hazards. As race and income are highly correlated, the purpose of this analysis is to determine the significance of race in the relationship with environmental pollution when the effects of other important variables, such as income, have been removed.

In a case study for Los Angles, the relationship between industrial facilities emitting toxic chemicals and demographic variables are examined at the censustract-level of aggregation. Several exploratory data analysis and linear modeling techniques were implemented using the ARC/INFO GIS and S statistical software. Results suggest that race is a significant factor in this relationship. A detailed examination of the processes which have resulted in the current socioenvironmental landscape was conducted for three smaller study areas within Los Angeles. Policy issues related to the overall analysis are discussed.