Thesis
Patterns of hazardous waste in the United States: analyzing rural environmental justice with spatial data
Washington State University
Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
2008
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/101813
Abstract
This thesis uses spatial data to test environmental justice theories concerning how race and class determine proximity to hazardous waste in the rural United States. Environmental justice studies to-date are dominated by urban focused projects working at tract, city and county levels of analysis. This study joins a growing body of literature calling for and demonstrating the methodological improvements of spatial data analysis using Geographic Information Systems technology. Spatial data analysis enables measurement of actual hazardous wastes to neighboring populations, as opposed to assuming residents of a certain census tract or county are equally exposed to an environmental burden. Using logistic regression, I assess the degree to which Hispanic, African American, Native American and lower-class populations reside in disproportionate proximity to hazardous waste in rural regions. Findings indicate that rural places with a baseline level of economic activity and higher proportions of African American and Hispanic residents are significant predictors of hazardous waste.
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Details
- Title
- Patterns of hazardous waste in the United States
- Creators
- Lauren Elizabeth Richter
- Contributors
- Gregory Hooks (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Sociology, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; Pullman, Wash. :
- Identifiers
- 99900525076701842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis