The Distribution and Enforcement of Air Polluting Facilities in New Jersey

Abstract

This study examines the spatial distribution and enforcement of air polluting facilities in the state of New Jersey, as listed in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Aerometric Information Retrieval System. Results show that air-polluting facilities tend to concentrate near minority neighborhoods, although this relationship is partially explained by factors of population density, manufacturing employment, and land use. Other results suggest that facilities in areas with a relatively high percentage of minority population tend to have a weaker record of environmental enforcement as compared to other facilities. Of the socioeconomic variables considered, employment in manufacturing appears to be the most strongly related to environmental enforcement.

Environmental Justice in the Courts

“…Within the movement these groups of actors share common "motives, background, and perspectives" (Cole and Foster 2001, 32). In particular, academics are one set of actors that have produced studies that are used in the courts to demonstrate how environmental hazards are distributed by race and class (e.g., Bullard, 1983;Mennis, 2005). For example, Robert Bullard's work on waste incinerators in Houston, Texas, is seen as critically important to the movement's academic roots.…”

Industrial agglomeration and the regional scientific explanation of perceived environmental injustice

“…A permit, facility, or pollutant emissions density variable has been frequently used in environmental justice studies in recent years (Bolin et al 2002;Downey 2003Downey , 2005Mennis 2002Mennis , 2005Mennis and Jordan 2005;Shaikh and Loomis 1999), and in other research submitted in the court proceedings. The permit density was calculated by dividing each census tract into 30 m grid cells; determining how many permits were located within a concentric ring of 1 or 5 km radius, respectively, around each cell's centroid; dividing that number of permits by the area of that concentric ring around the cell's centroid; and calculating the mean of those numbers of permits across all cells within a census tract.…”

“…During the litigation, however, the plaintiffs submitted expert reports to the court purporting to demonstrate NJDEP's statewide pattern of granting more air pollution permits in areas with disproportionate numbers of minority people. One of these expert reports was published essentially in its entirety (Mennis 2005). Our research presented in this article largely flows from the expert report submitted in response to the plaintiffs.…”

Health Effects of Coal: A Long-Run Relationship Assessment of Coal Production and Respiratory Health in Kazakhstan

“…The existing research on air pollution and health deterioration are mainly regional and city level studies (Bowen et al, 1995;Koop et al, 2010;Mennis, 2005;Sheppard, et al 1999;Sobral, 1989). The studies indicate a strong relationship between air pollution and induced health problems in the short-and long-term.…”