THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN ENVIRONMENTAL RISK AND INTERNAL MIGRATION FLOWS

Over the past several decades, the environmental awareness and concern of the American public has greatly increased. This concern is reflect ed, for example, in public opinion polls, participation in curbside re cycling programs and community mobilization against the siting of envi ronmentally-hazardous facilities. This study examines the possibility that such concern is also reflected by internal migration patterns. Mo re specifically, this research considers the relationship between coun ty-level environmental characteristics and in- and outmigration stream s. The results suggest that counties with environmental hazards such a s air and water pollution, hazardous waste and Superfund sites do not lose residents at greater rates than areas without such hazards. Howev er, areas with such risks gain relatively fewer new residents.