Proximity to Risk Management Plan Sites [Washington (State)]
State of Washington Geospatial Open Data Portal · 2025 Full Details
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Full Details
- Title
- Proximity to Risk Management Plan Sites [Washington (State)]
- Description
- This data is included as part of the Environmental Health Disparities Version 3.0 map. To see this map, visit our webpage . For more technical information on this map and the model used, visit our technical report (link) . Background Many industrial sites use dangerous chemicals. When these chemicals get into the air or water, they can harm people's health. Workers and nearby residents face more exposure because of how close they are. Exposure may happen through accidents or unsafe handling of these substances. To reduce this risk, the chemicals need to be carefully managed. Reducing exposure to these substances is essential for preventing accidents and protecting health. People living near sites that release toxic chemicals have a higher risk of health impacts. Communities with less financial means and historically minoritized communities are more likely to live near these sites due to redlining and environmental racism. This increases their risk of developing conditions such as heart disease, cancer, and in utero complications. People in these groups often also have less medical access. This can increase health risks because people may not be able to get timely care. The Clean Air Act works to address these risks. It requires sites that use or store hazardous chemicals to create and update a Risk Management Plan (RMP) every five years. These plans are crucial for ensuring proper safety measures are in place to prevent accidents. The plans also help first responders prepare for emergencies involving the chemicals. Evidence The EPA requires sites that handle highly toxic, flammable, or explosive substances to develop a Risk Management Plan (RMP). These plans are designed to mitigate potential hazards [1]. When an accident happens, surrounding communities can face elevated exposure to hazardous chemicals. This was seen during Hurricane Harvey. Several RMP sites were damaged, resulting in health issues for nearby residents [2, 3]. Exposure to these chemicals is linked to a range of negative health outcomes, including reproductive and neurodevelopmental disorders, cognitive impairments, and adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preterm birth and fetal death [4]. Communities of color are more likely to live near RMP sites due to redlining, environmental racism, and zoning. This increases their exposure to environmental hazards such as poor air quality. As a result, historically minoritized communities face higher risk for health problems [5, 6]. These communities already face disproportionate exposure to pollution and its related health effects. An accidental release from an RMP site could further increase these impacts. Data source EJSCREEN 2024 Proximity to Risk Management Plan estimates Methods This measure shows the number of RMP sites within 10 km of a census tract, weighted by distance and population. We downloaded the data from EJSCREEN at the census tract level. We used the EJSCREEN data as published, without any further calculations. For more information about their methodology, please visit EJScreen Technical Documentation for Version 2.3 . Caveats This measure was developed using nationwide databases. It may not reflect the risk of living or spending significant time near all RMP sites in Washington. Census tracts are assigned "zero" scores if they are farther than 10 km from any RMP sites. This measure represents the entire census tract and does not represent each individual community within the tract. These data should always be supplemented with local data and equitable engagement for more accurate insights. Sources Kleindorfer, P., Belke, J., Elliott, M., Lee, K., Lowe, R., & Feldman, H. (2003). Accident epidemiology and the U.S. chemical industry: Accident History and Worst-Case Data from RMP*Info. Risk Analysis, 23(5), 865-81. Elliott, M., Wang, Y., Lowe, R., & Kleindorfer, P. (2004). Environmental justice: frequency and severity of US chemical industry accidents and the socioeconomic status of surrounding communities. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 58(1), 24-30. Han, I., Whitworth, K. W., Christensen, B., Afshar, M., Han, H. A., Rammah, A., & Symanski, E. (2022). Heavy metal pollution of soils and risk assessment in Houston, Texas following Hurricane Harvey. Environmental Pollution , 296 , 118717. Kuehn, C. M., Mueller, B. A., Checkoway, H., & Williams, M. (2007). Risk of malformations associated with residential proximity to hazardous waste sites in Washington State. Environmental research , 103 (3), 405-412. Nardone, A., Chiang, J., & Corburn, J. (2020). Historic redlining and urban health today in US cities. Environmental Justice , 13 (4), 109-119. Taylor, D. E. (2014). Toxic Communities: Environmental Racism, Industrial Pollution, and Residential Mobility . NYU Press. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt9qg1v9 Citation Washington Tracking Network, Washington State Department of Health. Web. "Proximity to Risk Management Plan Sites". Data obtained from the EJSCREEN, 2024 Proximity to Risk Management Plan Data. Published September 2025.
- Creator
- WADOH
- Publisher
- State of Washington Geospatial Open Data Portal
- Temporal Coverage
- Last Modified: 2025-07-21
- Date Issued
- 2025-07-08
- Rights
- Neither the Washington State Department of Health (WADOH), nor any agency, officer, or employee of the WADOH warrants the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of any information published by this system, nor endorses any content, viewpoints, products, or services linked from this system, and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of such information. Portions of such information may be incorrect or not current. Any person or entity who relies on any information obtained from this system does so at their own risk.
- Access Rights
- Public
- Format
- ArcGIS FeatureLayer
- Language
- English
- Date Added
- February 02, 2026
- Provenance Statement
- The metadata for this resource was last retrieved from State of Washington Geospatial Open Data Portal on 2026-02-02.
Cite and Reference
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Citation
WADOH (2025). Proximity to Risk Management Plan Sites [Washington (State)]. State of Washington Geospatial Open Data Portal. https://geo.wa.gov/datasets/576cb7ad7dd341f9b479be38c75fc233_0 (web service) -
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