Did the Clean Air Act Improve Environmental Justice Disparities?

Authors

Jared Jageler, Macalester CollegeFollow

Document Type

Honors Project - Open Access

Abstract

This paper analyzes the differential impacts of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) on the racial pollution exposure gap, also known as the Environmental Justice (EJ) gap. Using recently developed, Census tract-level satellite data of PM2.5 pollution, I test whether CAAA non-attainment status and resulting State Implementation Plans decreased pollution in high-percentage Black and Hispanic areas more than in non-high percentage Black and Hispanic tracts. My results confirm that the CAAA reduced overall pollution concentrations in the U.S. and decreased the absolute level of the Environmental Justice gap. A heterogeneity analysis provides evidence that the results are primarily driven by air quality gains in Black communities in California and the Rust Belt.

Recommended Citation

Jageler, Jared, "Did the Clean Air Act Improve Environmental Justice Disparities?" (2022). Economics Honors Projects. 112.
https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/economics_honors_projects/112