Mapping Power Plant Inequalities

Abstract

This study seeks to unveil how the siting of nuclear power plants differs from the siting of coal-fired power plants in the United States. More specifically, it addresses how the demographics of surrounding communities differ according to the type of facility, and explores the possible causes of these discrepancies. Utilizing the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Emissions & Generation Resource Integrated Database (eGRID), the locations of all coal and nuclear powered plants in the country were identified. Employing the 50 percent areal containment methods outlined by Mohai and Saha (2006), census tracts were categorized as non-host, coal host, nuclear host, or both host tracts. Multinomial logistic regression was used to compare 2010 demographic census data among the different tract types. Discussion draws from environmental inequality, green criminology, and risk perception literature to address the socio-structural implications of disparate demographics hosting coal and nuclear powered plants.