Environmental justice and the spatial distribution of fish consumption advisory areas in the southern appalachians: A geographic informationsystemsapproach

摘要

The purpose of the study was to examine environmental justice implications within fisheries management. Two specific objectives were addressed: (1) to apply spatial and statistical analysis techniques to environmental justice research and (2) to determine environmental justice issues in the Southern Appalachians (SA) relative to Superfund sites and fish consumption advisory areas. Using geographic information systems, the spatial distribution of fish consumption advisory areas (representing streams, rivers, and lakes containing fish contaminated by chemical pollutants such as PCB and mercury) in the SA eco‐region was regressed on community (census block group) residents’ ethnicity and economic (income) status. Seventeen fish advisory areas and over 800 hazardous waste facilities (Superfund sites) were identified as undesirable land uses in the SA. Centroids of 5483 census block groups in the SA were identified and distances from each centroid to the closest facility (Superfund site and fish advisory area) were regressed on per capita income and ethnicity (percent white). Results of a path analysis showed that census block groups comprised of more nonwhites were significantly more likely to live closer to Superfund sites and fish advisory areas than census block groups of more whites. Superfund sites were located close to fish advisory areas. Implications for considering (1) cause and effect issues in siting undesirable land uses and (2) equity versus efficiency of land use allocations under environmental justice are considered.