A Novel Environmental Justice Indicator for Managing Local Air Pollution.

Jing Zhao,Kevin Cromar,Laura Gladson

doi:10.3390/ijerph15061260

Abstract

Environmental justice efforts in the United States seek to provide equal protection from environmental hazards, such as air pollution, to all groups, particularly among traditionally disadvantaged populations. To accomplish this objective, the U.S. EPA has previously required states to use an environmental justice screening tool as part of air quality planning decision-making. The generally utilized approach to assess potential areas of environmental justice concern relies on static comparisons of environmental and demographic information to identify areas where minority and low income populations experience elevated environmental exposures, but does not include any additional information that may inform the trade-offs that sub-populations of varying socio-demographic groups make when choosing where to reside in cities. In order to address this limitation, job accessibility (measured by a mobility index defining the number of jobs available within a set commuting time) was developed as a novel environmental justice indicator of environmental justice priority areas at the local level. This approach is modeled using real-world data in Allegheny County, PA (USA), and identifies areas with relatively high levels of outdoor air pollution and low access to jobs. While traditional tools tend to flag the poorest neighborhoods for environmental justice concerns, this new method offers a more refined analysis, targeting populations suffering from the highest environmental burden without the associated benefits of urban living.

Highlights

National efforts to improve air quality have seen great success in the United States since their mid-twentieth century inception
The areas of greatest concern in regards to environmental justice for air pollution would correspond to locations that must endure the adverse impacts of living in proximity to a dense urban core without experiencing the primary benefits of city living
While there is room to debate whether the positive aspects of urban living can offset the negative aspects of air pollution, it is less controversial to conclude that having low access to jobs while experiencing disproportionately high levels of air pollution is inequitable

Summary

Introduction

National efforts to improve air quality have seen great success in the United States since their mid-twentieth century inception These and other environmental health improvements vary locally, often neglecting disadvantaged urban populations such as minority groups and low-income populations who have traditionally had little political sway over environmental policy decisions impacting their communities [1]. Recognition of this inequity led to the development of a new national endeavor by the early 1990s—termed environmental justice—which sought to provide equal protection to all groups from environmental hazards [2].

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion