Environmental Inequality in “Fracking” Communities: Socioeconomic and Racial Disparities in Unconventional Gas Drilling Communities

• In Event: 082 - Open Refereed Roundtable Session I
  In Refereed Roundtable: A. Table 10. Environmental Sociology

Abstract

This study uses an environmental inequality framework to analyze the racial and economic characteristics of unconventional gas drilling communities in the United States. Domestic gas production in the U.S. has doubled since 1990 thanks to new technological methods like hydraulic fracturing (fracking). The fracking process has been shown to produce environmental hazards that could be harmful to human health. Environmental inequality research suggests that communities of color and low-income populations face greater impacts from environmental hazards. This research assesses this claim by cross-sectionally analyzing how racial and economic factors affect the number of fracking well site located in a county area. Specifically, the hypotheses state that economically disadvantaged counties and counties with larger non-white populations will have higher concentrations of well sites. Neither hypothesis was supported by this analysis. The results deviate from environmental inequality research and illustrate that natural gas development is a unique and complex industry that requires more attention.

Author

• Jessica Eckhardt, University of Utah