Environmental injustice, public health and solid waste facilities in North Carolina

Transcription

1 Environmental injustice, public health and solid waste facilities in North Carolina Jennifer M. Norton University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health Department of Epidemiology October 20, 2006

2 Outline What is a solid waste facility? How can solid waste facilities affect public health? Are people of color and poor communities in North Carolina disproportionately burdened with solid waste facilities? How did we study this question? What did we find? What do the results mean? What can be done?

3 What is a solid waste facility? Aerial Photo: Orange County Solid Waste Landfill Complex Photo from TerraFly.com

4 Types of Solid Waste Facilities Facility type MSWLF CDLF TRANSFER INDUS TIRELF Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Construction & Demolition Debris Landfill Waste Transfer Station Industrial Solid Waste Landfill Tire Landfill Examples of wastes managed Garbage, sludge Drywall, concrete, electrical fixtures Garbage Pulp paper sludge, ash from power generation Tires

5 How can solid waste facilities affect public health? Photo: Unlined Municipal Solid Waste Landfill (closed) Orange County, NC Photo courtesy of Ginger Thompson Guidry, 2004

6 Potential Environmental Hazards Associated with Solid Waste Facilities Water Groundwater contamination from leachate ( garbage-juice ) Air Landfill gases Malodor Explosions Noise Traffic safety Photo: Scale House at Orange County Solid Waste Landfill Photo courtesy of Ginger Thompson Guidry, 2004 Community resources

7 Are people of color and poor communities in North Carolina disproportionately burdened with solid waste facilities?

8 How did we study this question? Photo: Lined Municipal Solid Waste Landfill (open) Orange County, NC

9 Data Sources United States Census Bureau Census block groups were used to define communities North Carolina Division of Waste Management Reviewed facility records to obtain information: Permit dates Location

10 Measures Block group Percent people of color population Median house value (community economic wealth) Other factors related to solid waste facilities and race/wealth Population density (persons per square mile) Region of the state Identified communities with and without solid waste facilities

11 What did we find? Photo: Construction & Demolition Debris Landfill Orange County, NC

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13 Location of Solid Waste Facilities in North Carolina Communities, 2003 The odds of a solid waste facility: 2.1 times higher in less-white communities compared to white communities 1.4 times higher in less-wealthy communities compared to high-wealth communities

14 Location of Newly Permitted Solid Waste Facilities in North Carolina Communities, The rate of newly permitted solid waste facilities among communities that did not previously have one: 2.2 times greater in less white communities compared to white communities The rate of newly permitted privately owned or operated solid waste facility: 2.4 times greater in less white communities compared to white communities

15 What do these results mean? Photo: Leachate collection pond at Orange County Landfill Photo courtesy of Ginger Thompson Guidry, 2004

16 Summary The results of this statewide analysis validate the concerns communities have raised regarding the location of solid waste facilities in people of color and poor communities

17 What can be done? Editorial cartoon source: Dwane Powell, Raleigh News & Observer, October 26, 2005

18 Next Steps Solid waste production is a problem Lack of incentives to reduce waste may lead to continued dumping on other communities Communities can take action to raise awareness of solid waste issues

19 Permitted Solid Waste Facilities in NC Facility type Total # Open Closed Number permitted , only MSWLF CDLF TRANSFER INDUS TIRELF SUM Operation status on December 31, 2003 Source: Data compiled from records maintained by the NC Division of Waste Management

20 Data Sources United States Census Bureau Census block groups were used to define communities North Carolina Division of Waste Management Reviewed facility records to obtain information