Association Between Census Tract-Level Poverty and Non-White Race with Location of Coal Ash Disposal Pits in the United States

Coal ash is a byproduct of coal-fired power plants, and the management and disposal of coal ash in coal ash pits is an environmental health concern. Evidence suggests that socioeconomically disadvantaged communities are more likely to bear the burden of these environmental hazards. However, limited studies have investigated the relationship between socioeconomic status and residential proximity to coal ash pits. We examined associations between census tract poverty and non-white race with the likelihood of having coal ash pits within the census tract. We obtained coal ash pit location and census tract-level data (2017–2021) of the percentage of the population living at or below the federal poverty level and the percentage of the population’s non-white race for 82,805 census tracts in the contiguous United States. We implemented multivariable logistic regression models to examine associations between non-white race, poverty, and the likelihood of having one or more coal ash pits in a census tract. Secondary analyses among tracts with at least one coal ash pit evaluated the associations between poverty, non-white race, and the likelihood of having multiple coal ash pits. Models additionally adjusted for census tract region. Census tracts in the highest quartile of poverty were over two times as likely to have one or more coal ash pits (OR = 2.23, 95% CI: 1.52, 3.25). Tracts in the highest quartile of the non-white population had 90% lower odds of having one or more coal ash pits as compared to the lowest quartile (OR = 0.10, 95% CI: 0.06, 0.17). Census tracts with higher levels of poverty were more likely to have one or more coal ash pits, and census tracts with higher non-white populations were less likely to have one or more coal ash pits, suggesting that these associations are complex and indicate an environmental justice issue.