Thinking Outside the Circle: Using Geographical Knowledge to Focus Environmental Risk Assessment Investigations

Abstract

The perception of inequity in the distribution of technological hazards in the United States has generated headlines, stimulated scientific investigations, and fostered public policy initiatives during the past decade. The empirical evidence for such inequities comes from numerous case studies that have attempted to establish associations between hazards and the characteristics of at-risk populations. These studies have employed a variety of methods, and have stirred epistemological debates that are often rooted in the approach used to geographically define exposure to a polluting facility.