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Diane M. Sicotte, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Sociology Drexel University

Some More Polluted than Others: Unequal Cumulative Industrial Hazard Burdens in the Philadelphia MSA, USA (forthcoming in Local Environment ). Diane M. Sicotte, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Sociology Drexel University. Research Questions:.

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Diane M. Sicotte, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Sociology Drexel University

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  1. Some More Polluted than Others: Unequal Cumulative Industrial Hazard Burdens in the Philadelphia MSA, USA (forthcoming in Local Environment) Diane M. Sicotte, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Sociology Drexel University

  2. Research Questions: • Considering all state- and federally-regulated environmental hazards (factories, hazardous waste, power plants, incinerators and sewage), do some communities in the Philadelphia area bear an inequitable burden of environmental hazards? • If inequalities exist, how extensive are they? • Which social characteristics put communities more (or less) at risk of extensive burdening?

  3. 369 Communities (357 townships, boroughs & cities; 12 Phila Planning Analysis Areas) Study Area: Philadelphia MSA

  4. Methods • With ArcView, map all hazardous sites, assigning points value to each. • Add together all points for each community. • Define “extensively burdened communities” as those with more hazard points than 90% of communities in the Philadelphia MSA. • Calculate risk of being extensively burdened by each community characteristic.

  5. Hazard Scores

  6. Characteristics that increase or decrease risk of being extensively burdened: Bordering the Delaware

  7. Characteristics that increase/decrease risk of extensive burdening: Race/Ethnicity

  8. Characteristics that increase/decrease risk of extensive burdening: Social Class

  9. …But one characteristic did not make a difference in risk of extensive burdening: Percent Employed in Manufacturing Why?

  10. How Does Chester Rank?

  11. Chester ranks 7th of the 38 most extensively burdened communities in the Philadelphia MSA

  12. Chester bears a disproportionate burden of 2 types of hazards Chester City alone bears 9.4% of the Power Plant Points and 5.8% of the Waste Points for the entire nine-county Philadelphia MSA.

  13. Answers to Research Questions: • Considering all state- and federally-regulated environmental hazards (factories, hazardous waste, power plants, incinerators and sewage), do some communities in the Philadelphia area bear an inequitable burden of environmental hazards? • Yes. 2. If inequalities exist, how extensive are they? • They are extensive, striking and significant. 3. Which social characteristics put communities more (or less) at risk of extensive burdening? • Location near the Delaware River; minority populations of more than 3%; anything below the highest Median Household Income; high proportions of vacant homes and high-school dropouts.

  14. How did all of this come about? • Future research: a historical study of the development of industry, the politics of power generation and waste disposal, and residential segregation in the Philadelphia MSA.

  15. Thank you for your time.

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