Solid waste facilities are places where household garbage and other types of waste are collected, processed, or stored. These include landfills, transfer stations, and composting facilities. The waste can come from homes, industry or commercial sources. Most of these operations require permits. The communities near solid waste facilities are usually home to poor and minority residents.
Waste created by different commercial or industrial activity contains chemicals that may be dangerous or harmful to health. Only certain regulated facilities are allowed to treat, store or dispose of this type of waste. These facilities are not the same as cleanup sites. Hazardous waste includes a range of different types of waste. It can include used automotive oil as well as highly toxic waste materials produced by factories and businesses.
Hazardous chemicals are often stored in containers on land or in underground storage tanks. Leaks from these containers and tanks can contaminate soil and pollute groundwater. Common pollutants of soil and groundwater include gasoline and diesel fuel from gas stations, as well as solvents, heavy metals and pesticides. The land and groundwater may take many years to clean up.
Cleanup sites are places that are contaminated with harmful chemicals and need to be cleaned up by the property owners or government. People living near these sites are more likely to be exposed to chemicals from the sites than people living further away. Some studies have shown that neighborhoods with cleanup sites are generally poorer and have more people of color than other neighborhoods.
California has the biggest network of freeways in the country. Its cities are known for heavy traffic. Traffic impacts is a measure of the number of vehicles on the roads in an area. Non-whites, Latinos, low income people, and people who speak a language other than English often live in or near areas with high traffic.
Facilities that make or use toxic chemicals can release these chemicals into the air. Information is available on the amount of chemicals released for over 500 chemicals for large facilities in the United States. People of color and low income Californians are more likely to live in areas with higher toxic chemical releases.
Pesticides are chemicals used to control insects, weeds, and plant or animal diseases. Over 1000 pesticides are approved for use in California. They are applied to fields by air, by farm machinery, or by workers on the ground.
