Access to Interpretable Data to Support Disproportionate Health Risks from Industrial Releases: A Case Study on the Environmental Protection Agency's Datasets and Their Application to the Latinx Communities of Houston, Texas.

Abstract

Latinx communities face disproportionate environmental injustices and are targeted due to systematic economic and political inequities. This research evaluates the ease at which links between industrial releases and risk of adverse health effects can be defined to influence policy change in Houston, TX. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) is the most comprehensive public database on industrial facilities' toxic chemical releases in the US. TRI is presented within a risk-based context through the Risk Screening Environmental Indicators (RSEI) scores. TRI and RSEI datasets for Houston in 2022 were assessed in QGIS to analyze chemical release and risk in neighborhoods using Community Tabulation Areas (CTAs), identifying demographics of communities facing disproportionate industrial releases and consequent potential health risks. Geospatial visualizations reflected Latinx communities to house the heaviest polluting industrial facilities in Houston. As a result, these communities face the highest potential risk of adverse health effects due to exposure to a multitude of chemicals-particularly 1,3-butadiene, benzene, and chromium-as reflected in cumulative RSEI scores. An analysis of TRI and RSEI datasets elucidates the burden of gathering and analyzing chemical release data in a public health context, reflecting why change beginning at the local level can be difficult for under-resourced Latinx communities facing industrial pollution. Improving the accessibility and utility of the EPA resources will provide a resource to advocate for data-driven policy change.