Proximity to Hazardous Waste Sites [Washington (State)]
State of Washington Geospatial Open Data Portal · 2025 Full Details
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Full Details
- Title
- Proximity to Hazardous Waste 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 Hazardou s w aste can be dangerous to health and the environment. It is mainly created through industrial processes and can be in the form of liquids, solids, gases, or sludges. Living near hazardous waste sites can lead to serious health problems. Black and Latino communities, as well as those with fewer financial resources, are disproportionately affected. These communities are often located in areas with weaker environmental rules and less infrastructure investment, because of where housing is affordable. As a result, they face a double burden of exposure to dangerous chemicals as well as existing social and economic inequities. If hazardous waste is not properly managed or disposed of, it can pollute nearby air, water, and soil. It can also contaminate essential resources, like drinking water or farmland. Contaminated food and water increase the risk of long-term exposure to toxic substances. Living near these sites can lower property values and diminish overall quality of life. This can make it harder for people to improve their living situations. Evidence Hazardous waste sites increase risks for nearby communities by producing toxic compounds that harm human health [1, 2]. People living near these sites are more likely to experience health issues. These include diabetes, heart disease, and lung problems [3, 4]. Hazardous waste sites are often located close to Black and Latino communities and communities with less economic access due to discriminatory zoning [5, 6]. People in historically marginalized communities near hazardous waste sites also tend to not have adequate health care access [7]. Hazardous waste sites lower property values and diminish overall quality of life for people who live near them [1, 2]. Data source Hazardous Waste Sites Database Methods This measure estimates how close hazardous waste sites are to people living across Washington by calculating the distance between the sites and residents of various census tracts. First, all hazardous waste sites within 10 kilometers of each census block group were identified. Then, the individual blocks within each block group were evaluated, with each block receiving a score based on how close it was to nearby waste sites. The block scores were calculated using the sum of the inverse distances between the block's center and the location of nearby sites—so the closer a facility was to a block, the higher its contribution to the overall score. Blocks with no sites within 10 km of their block group received a score of zero. Finally, a population-weighted average was used to score census tracts based on their contained blocks. Caveats This method assumes the population-weighted centroid represents the entire area. This isn't always true. In large or oddly shaped tracts, most people may live far from the centroid. This could make the proximity score less accurate. This method only measures straight-line distance from the centroid to the site. It does not consider important factors that can affect how pollutants spread, such as wind patterns, terrain, or transportation routes. As a result, the real exposure risks might not be fully representative. This measure represents the entire census tract and does not re present eac h individual community within the tract. These data should always be supplemented with local data and equitable engagement for more accurate insights. Sources McGlinn, L. (2000). Spatial patterns of hazardous waste generation and management in the United States. The Professional Geographer 52(1), 11-22. Fazzo, L., Minichilli, F., Santoro, M., Ceccarini, A., Della Seta, M., Bianchi, F., et al. (2017). Hazardous waste and health impact: A systematic review of the scientific literature. Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source, 16(1), 1-11. Kouznetsova, M., Huang, X., Ma, J., Lessner, L., & Carpenter, D. (2007). Increased rate of hospitalization for diabetes and residential proximity of hazardous waste sites. Environmental Health Perspectives, 115(1), 75-9. Sergeev, A., and Carpenter, D. (2005). Hospitalization rates for coronary heart disease in relation to residence near areas contaminated with persistent organic pollutants and other pollutants. Environmental Health Perspectives, 113(6), 756-61. Aliyu, A., Kasim, R., & Martin, D. (2011). Siting of hazardous waste dump sites and their correlation with the status of surrounding residential neighbourhoods in Los Angeles County. Property Management, 29(1), 87-102. Boer, J., Pastor, M., Sadd, J., & Snyder, L. (1996). Is there environmental racism? The demographics of hazardous waste in Los Angeles County. Abstracts with Programs - Geological Society of America, 28(7), 167. Soliman, M. R., Derosa, C. T., Mielke, H. W., & Bota, K. (1993). Hazardous wastes, hazardous materials and environmental health inequity. Toxicology and industrial health , 9 (5), 901-912. Citation Washington Tracking Network, Washington State Department of Health. Web. "Proximity to Hazardous Waste Sites". Data obtained from the Department of Ecology, 2022-2023 Hazardous Waste Site Data. Published September 2025.
- Creator
- WADOH
- Publisher
- State of Washington Geospatial Open Data Portal
- Temporal Coverage
- Last Modified: 2025-07-21
- Date Issued
- 2025-07-10
- 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 Hazardous Waste Sites [Washington (State)]. State of Washington Geospatial Open Data Portal. https://geo.wa.gov/datasets/9dff73233bd04b31a911ddc2fba2319d_0 (web service) -
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