An investigation of environmental racism claims: Testing environmental management approaches with a geographic information system

The purpose of this research was to explore the concept of an environmental racism claim through the use of several environmental management tools. Th e EPAs Toxics Release Inventory, Cumulative Exposure Project, and the Los A ngeles County Department of Health Services' Hot Zone Census Tract Assessme nt were combined with racial and socioeconomic data to test claims that min orities in South Central Los Angeles are disproportionately exposed to envi ronmental lead. Multivariate analysis indicated that race is strongly assoc iated with the number of cases of elevated blood lead levels in South Centr al, irrespective of poverty status. Proximity to point sources, a common fo cal point for studies of environmental racism, was not a contributing facto r to health outcomes. Proximity to transportation corridors was consistentl y the strongest indicator of environmental lead exposure, while median home values were significantly and positively related to elevated blood lead le vels. Implications for environmental justice advocates and social and envir onmental scientists are discussed.