Air Pollution, EPA Sites of Concern and Environmental Justice in Los Angeles

Air Pollution, EPA Sites of Concern and Environmental Justice in Los Angeles

Adam Dorr

Part 1◦ Use pollution data to identify high-risk (“hotspot”)

areas◦ Use demographic data to identify vulnerable

environmental justice communities◦ Identify most vulnerable schools for investment in

indoor air quality improvement Part 2

◦ Build regression model to test predictive value of demographic variables on pollution

Project Goals

EPA National Air Toxics Assessment (NATA) 2002 data:◦ Cancer Risk◦ Neurological Risk◦ Respiratory Risk

Standardized Scales (0-1) Combined NATA Index (0-1) Distance Measures for EPA Sites Index Composite Environmental Risk Index (0-3.5) Regression Models

Sources and Methods

American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates 2005-2009 (US Census Bureau via Social Explorer)

Based on Massachusetts State Law and Atlanta City Code definitions of Environmental Justice Community:◦ 65% or more below median income (assumed: county)◦ 25% or more minority (assumed: ALL not “white alone”)◦ 25% or more foreign born◦ 25% or more under age 10 ◦ 25% or more age 65 or older

Community Vulnerability Scale (0-5)

Sources and Methods

ESRI/Microsoft:◦ California state boundary map◦ Los Angeles County census tracts boundary map◦ Shaded relief basemap◦ Major highways basemap

UCLA Mapshare:◦ Airports◦ Water bodies

Google Earth◦ 3D Imagery

Sources and Methods

Summary of earlier findings

Project Review

ESRI/Microsoft:◦ California state boundary map◦ Los Angeles County census tracts boundary map◦ Shaded relief basemap◦ Major highways basemap

UCLA Mapshare:◦ Airports◦ Water bodies

Combined NATA Risk Index

Rasterization Distance measures Buffers and dissolves Clipping

Part 1: EPA Sites of Concern Analysis

Schools in Downtown Los Angeles high-pollution-risk census tracts

Hotspot Analysis

Downtown Los Angeles 3D Imagery (Google Earth)

Source: Census 2000

Downtown Los Angeles 3D Imagery (Google Earth)

Downtown Los Angeles 3D Imagery (Google Earth)

(some schools not shown)

Improve Indoor Air Quality!

Policy Recommendations

Improved HVAC Air Filtration Low VOC paints and cleaning agents Reduced pesticide application Bioremediation

Policy Recommendations

Improved HVAC Air Filtration Low VOC paints and cleaning agents Reduced pesticide application Bioremediation

Policy Recommendations

Improved HVAC Air Filtration Low VOC paints and cleaning agents Reduced pesticide application Bioremediation

Policy Recommendations

Improved HVAC Air Filtration Low VOC paints and cleaning agents Reduced pesticide application Bioremediation

Policy Recommendations

Race as a predictor of hazardous waste sites

Does apply to air toxics as well?

Part 2: Regression Models

Questions?

Inset map Color graduated symbology Aggregating attribute fields (standardized scales and composite scores) Creating Indices (EJ-Risk Combined Index using field calculators) Geoprocessing (clipping, multiple layers, to create multi-layer layouts) Buffering and dissolve (EPA sites of concern 500m buffer, highways 500m buffer) Rasterization (using model) Distance measure, analysis and original data (EPA sites combined with NATA

data and Census demographics for composite index, using field geometry, proximity counting, Euclidian distance, etc…)

Hotspot analysis of Downtown Los Angeles Attribute subsets selections (selected Los Angeles County EPA sites of concern

from nationwide dataset) Geocoding (EPA sites addresses) Metadata (see slide) Modeling (see slide) Policy question (which schools are at high pollution risk?) and recommendations

(investment in indoor air quality improvement) 3D modeling (using overlays in Google Earth)

GIS Skills Used

Model Used for Rasterization

Example of Metadata