Content area
Full Text
Popul Environ (2013) 35:113132
DOI 10.1007/s11111-013-0188-6
ORIGINAL PAPER
Shanshan Wu Matthew T. Heberling
Published online: 9 May 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York (outside the USA) 2013
Abstract This research quanties the distribution of toxic releases in Puerto Rico to determine whether environmental inequality exists. We calculate an environmental Gini coefcient using Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data from 2000 to 2008. Our ndings suggest Puerto Rico has a relatively constant and unequal distribution of releases over this time period. Based on this result, we investigate linkages between toxic releases and several socioeconomic and demographic indicators. We apply a quantile regression model using TRI data and American Community Survey data from 2005 to 2008 to identify important indicators across the distribution of releases. We nd municipios (legal division equivalent to US counties) that have a higher percent of non-Puerto Rican Hispanic origin or high school educated population experience higher releases to all media. This also is true for unemployment, but only for municipios with the largest releases (i.e., highest quintile). The results also reveal municipios that are more densely populated or that have a higher percent of college degrees experience lower releases to all media. Higher proportions of certain age groups also suggest lower releases. These results are not constant across the distribution of releases; they are most signicant in those municipios with the largest releases. This is even more obvious when we only examine releases to air.
Keywords Environmental justice Gini coefcient Puerto Rico Quantile
regression Toxics Release Inventory
S. Wu M. T. Heberling (&)
National Risk Management Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, (USEPA/ORD), 26 W. M. L. King Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45268, USAe-mail: [email protected]
The distribution of pollution and environmental justice in Puerto Rico: a quantitative analysis
123
114 Popul Environ (2013) 35:113132
Introduction
Environmental justice has recently been highlighted as a top priority for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA 2011). USEPA developed Plan EJ 2014 that helps identify approaches to address inequities facing minority and low-income communities (USEPA 2011). The plan identies three goals (USEPA 2011: 2):
Protect the environment and health in overburdened communities, Empower communities to take action to improve their health and environment, and
Establish partnerships with local, state, tribal and federal governments and organizations to achieve...