Communities with hazardous waste facilities also have exceptionally high numbers of black and hispanic citizens, according to a study released recently by the United Church of Christ. This represents "an insidious form of institutional racism. It is environmental racism," said a spokesperson for the church.

Minority populations average 12% in communities without hazardous waste (treatment, storage, or disposal- -TSD) facilities, but communities with one TSD facility average 24% blacks and hispanics. Communities with two or more TSD facilities average 38% blacks and hispanics, the study reveals.

Three out of every five black and hispanic Americans live in communities that have uncontrolled hazardous waste sites. Roughly half of all Asian/Pacific Islanders and half of all American Indians live in communities that have uncontrolled hazardous waste sites.

Copies of the report, which was done under contract by Public Data Access, Inc., of New York City, are available for $15.00 plus $2.50 shipping, from: United Church of Christ, 105 Madison Avenue, NY, NY 10016; phone (212) 683-5656.
--Peter Montague, Ph.D.

Descriptor terms: racism; studies; hazardous waste; united church of christ; environmental racism; blacks; chicanos; hispanics; churches; tsd facilities; statistics;