Which came first? Toxic facilities, minority move-in, and environmental justice

Previous research suggests that minority residential ai-eas have a dispropo rtionate likelihood of hosting various environmental hazards. Some critics have responded that the contemporary correlation of race and hazards may re flect post-siting minority move-in, perhaps because of a risk effect on hou sing costs, rather than discrimination in siting. This article examines the disproportionate siting and minority move-in hypotheses in Los Angeles Cou nty by reconciling tract geography and data over three decades with firm-le vel information on the initial siting dates for toxic storage and disposal facilities. Using simple t-tests, logit analysis, and a novel simultaneous model, we find that disproportionate siting matters more than disproportion ate minority move-in in the sample area. Racial transition is also an impor tant predictor of siting, suggesting a role for multiracial organizing in r esisting new facilities.