Proximity to Risk Management Plan Sites

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 Environmental Health Disparities Map Report Version 3.0. 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.本数据集为《环境健康差异3.0版》（Environmental Health Disparities Version 3.0）地图的组成部分。如需查看该地图，请访问我们的官方网页。如需了解该地图及所用模型的更多技术细节，请查阅《环境健康差异地图报告3.0版》。 ## 背景 诸多工业场所会使用危险化学品。当此类化学品释放至空气或水体中时，会对人体健康造成损害。由于作业场所及周边居民与化学品的空间距离更近，其接触风险更高。接触途径可能包括意外事故或此类物质的不安全操作。为降低此类风险，需对化学品进行严格管控。减少此类物质的接触，对于预防事故、保障民众健康至关重要。 居住在有毒化学品排放场所周边的人群，健康受损风险更高。由于红线歧视（redlining）与环境种族主义（environmental racism），经济拮据的群体及历史上曾被边缘化的社区更有可能居住在这类场所周边。这进一步提升了他们罹患心脏病、癌症以及宫内并发症等疾病的风险。此类群体往往也更难获得医疗服务，这会加剧健康风险，因为民众无法及时获得诊疗。 《清洁空气法案》（Clean Air Act）旨在应对此类风险，其要求使用或储存危险化学品的场所每五年制定并更新一份风险管理计划（Risk Management Plan, RMP）。此类计划对于落实恰当的安全防范措施、预防事故至关重要，同时也能帮助应急响应人员做好应对化学品相关突发事件的准备。 ## 证据 美国环境保护署（Environmental Protection Agency, EPA）要求处理高毒性、易燃或易爆物质的场所制定风险管理计划（RMP），此类计划旨在缓解潜在危害[1]。当事故发生时，周边社区可能会面临更高的危险化学品接触风险，这在飓风哈维（Hurricane Harvey）事件中得到了印证：多座RMP场所遭到破坏，导致周边居民出现健康问题[2,3]。 此类化学品的接触与一系列负面健康结局相关，包括生殖与神经发育障碍、认知损伤以及早产、胎儿死亡等不良妊娠结局[4]。由于红线歧视、环境种族主义与土地分区规划（zoning），少数族裔社区更有可能居住在RMP场所周边，这使得他们更易暴露于空气质量不佳等环境危害之中。因此，历史上被边缘化的社区面临更高的健康问题风险[5,6]。此类社区本就不成比例地承受着污染及其相关健康影响，RMP场所的意外泄漏可能会进一步加剧这些危害。 ## 数据来源 EJSCREEN 2024 风险管理计划场所邻近性估算 ## 方法 本指标用于统计某个人口普查片区（census tract）10公里范围内的RMP场所数量，并根据距离与人口规模进行加权。我们从EJSCREEN下载了人口普查片区级别的数据，并直接使用发布的原始数据，未进行任何额外计算。如需了解其方法学详情，请访问《EJSCREEN 2.3版技术文档》。 ## 注意事项 本指标基于全国性数据库开发，可能无法全面反映华盛顿州所有RMP场所周边居住或长期停留的风险。若某个人口普查片区距离所有RMP场所均超过10公里，则其评分为0。本指标针对的是整个人口普查片区，无法代表片区内的各个独立社区。此类数据始终需要结合本地数据与公平参与式调研，以获得更准确的洞察。 ## 参考文献 [1] Kleindorfer, P., Belke, J., Elliott, M., Lee, K., Lowe, R., & Feldman, H. (2003). 事故流行病学与美国化学工业：来自RMP*Info的事故历史与最坏情景数据. 风险分析, 23(5), 865-81. [2] Elliott, M., Wang, Y., Lowe, R., & Kleindorfer, P. (2004). 环境正义：美国化学工业事故的发生频率与严重程度及周边社区的社会经济地位. 流行病学与社区卫生杂志, 58(1), 24-30. [3] Han, I., Whitworth, K. W., Christensen, B., Afshar, M., Han, H. A., Rammah, A., & Symanski, E. (2022). 飓风哈维过后德克萨斯州休斯顿的土壤重金属污染与风险评估. 环境污染, 296, 118717. [4] Kuehn, C. M., Mueller, B. A., Checkoway, H., & Williams, M. (2007). 华盛顿州住宅邻近危险废物场所与畸形儿风险的关联. 环境研究, 103(3), 405-412. [5] Nardone, A., Chiang, J., & Corburn, J. (2020). 美国城市的历史红线歧视与当代城市健康. 环境正义, 13(4), 109-119. [6] Taylor, D. E. (2014). 有毒社区：环境种族主义、工业污染与居住流动性. 纽约大学出版社. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt9qg1v9 ## 引用 华盛顿追踪网络（Washington Tracking Network），华盛顿州卫生部. 网络资源. "Proximity to Risk Management Plan Sites". 数据来自EJSCREEN 2024风险管理计划场所邻近性数据集. 发布于2025年9月.