Class, race, and the disposal of urban waste: Locations of landfills, incinerators, and sewage treatment plants

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
William T. Markham, Retired (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/

Abstract: This study compared the socioeconomic status, racial composition, and ethnic composition of 49 randomly selected U.S. cities with those of the census tracts containing the solid waste disposal facilities and sewage treatment plants for those cities. Contrary to the environmental racism and classism hypotheses, residents of tracts with landfills or incinerators had higher incomes and were less likely to be minority group members than residents of the cities that generated the refuse—although they did have somewhat lower education levels. There were few differences between the population characteristics of the cities and the census tracts that contained their sewage treatment plants. Possible explanations for these findings are discussed.

Additional Information

Publication
Sociological Spectrum, 17(2) (April, 1997), 234-244
Language: English
Date: 1997
Keywords
Pollution, Environmental racism, Socioeconomic status, Class, Race

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