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Methodological Considerations in Screening for Cumulative Environmental Health Impacts: Lessons Learned from a Pilot Study in California

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  • Laura Meehan August

    (Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency, 1515 Clay Street, 16th Floor, Oakland, CA 94612, USA)

  • John B. Faust

    (Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency, 1515 Clay Street, 16th Floor, Oakland, CA 94612, USA)

  • Lara Cushing

    (Energy and Resources Group, 310 Barrows Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA)

  • Lauren Zeise

    (Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency, 1515 Clay Street, 16th Floor, Oakland, CA 94612, USA)

  • George V. Alexeeff

    (Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency, 1515 Clay Street, 16th Floor, Oakland, CA 94612, USA)

Abstract

Polluting facilities and hazardous sites are often concentrated in low-income communities of color already facing additional stressors to their health. The influence of socioeconomic status is not considered in traditional models of risk assessment. We describe a pilot study of a screening method that considers both pollution burden and population characteristics in assessing the potential for cumulative impacts. The goal is to identify communities that warrant further attention and to thereby provide actionable guidance to decision- and policy-makers in achieving environmental justice. The method uses indicators related to five components to develop a relative cumulative impact score for use in comparing communities: exposures, public health effects, environmental effects, sensitive populations and socioeconomic factors. Here, we describe several methodological considerations in combining disparate data sources and report on the results of sensitivity analyses meant to guide future improvements in cumulative impact assessments. We discuss criteria for the selection of appropriate indicators, correlations between them, and consider data quality and the influence of choices regarding model structure. We conclude that the results of this model are largely robust to changes in model structure.

Suggested Citation

  • Laura Meehan August & John B. Faust & Lara Cushing & Lauren Zeise & George V. Alexeeff, 2012. "Methodological Considerations in Screening for Cumulative Environmental Health Impacts: Lessons Learned from a Pilot Study in California," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-16, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:9:y:2012:i:9:p:3069-3084:d:19673
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bockstaller, C. & Girardin, P., 2003. "How to validate environmental indicators," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 76(2), pages 639-653, May.
    2. Manuel Pastor & James L. Sadd & Rachel Morello‐Frosch, 2004. "Waiting to Inhale: The Demographics of Toxic Air Release Facilities in 21st‐Century California," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 85(2), pages 420-440, June.
    3. Ganlin Huang & Jonathan K. London, 2012. "Cumulative Environmental Vulnerability and Environmental Justice in California’s San Joaquin Valley," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-16, May.
    4. George V. Alexeeff & John B. Faust & Laura Meehan August & Carmen Milanes & Karen Randles & Lauren Zeise & Joan Denton, 2012. "A Screening Method for Assessing Cumulative Impacts," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-12, February.
    5. James L. Sadd & Manuel Pastor & Rachel Morello-Frosch & Justin Scoggins & Bill Jesdale, 2011. "Playing It Safe: Assessing Cumulative Impact and Social Vulnerability through an Environmental Justice Screening Method in the South Coast Air Basin, California," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 8(5), pages 1-19, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Raoul S. Liévanos, 2019. "Racialized Structural Vulnerability: Neighborhood Racial Composition, Concentrated Disadvantage, and Fine Particulate Matter in California," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-24, September.
    2. Esther Min & Deric Gruen & Debolina Banerjee & Tina Echeverria & Lauren Freelander & Michael Schmeltz & Erik Saganić & Millie Piazza & Vanessa E. Galaviz & Michael Yost & Edmund Y.W. Seto, 2019. "The Washington State Environmental Health Disparities Map: Development of a Community-Responsive Cumulative Impacts Assessment Tool," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-16, November.

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