9321614 PULIDO As geographers and other scientists become more aware of the spatial distribution of pollution and other environmental problems, the tendency of minority ethnic and racial groups to have disproportionate exposure to many risks has become more evident. Unfortunately, much of the research on this topic has tended to provide only "snapshot" views, examining relationships for a limited time period. As a result, knowledge about the processes through which minority groups are adversely impacted is limited. This Research Planning Grant will enable a productive young investigator to explore new approaches to this important problem. Both micro- and macro-level analyses will be examined through a pilot study of the impacts of abandoned toxic-waste sites on African Americans and Latinos in Los Angeles. The distribution of toxic-waste sites through the city will be examined using historical records. In areas where abandoned sites are located, the evolution of land-use, industrial, residential, and workplace patterns will be studied. This information will be combined with information about the changing demographic and social patterns of minority groups in order to better assess the nature of minority exposure to toxic wastes. After research methods have been refined through this pilot study, the investigator plans to conduct parallel analyses of the exposure of these minority populations to other environmental problems, including commercial hazardous-waste facilities and toxic air pollution. Through the conduct of this project, new insights will be gained regarding the factors that have resulted in many minority groups being exposed to more severe environmental problems than other groups. Refinement of methods that incorporate a historical dimension to empirical analyses will significantly enhance theoretical discussions of "environmental racism." This research planning grant also will provide valuable assistance to a promising young Latino woman at a critical early stage in her independent research career. ***
