Allegheny County 2024 Environmental Justice Index
Environmental Justice (EJ) is rooted in the idea that all people deserve to live and work in a healthy and safe community and environment.
Environmental Justice is a topic at the forefront of discussions on equity, environmental health, and climate change. Prior to September 2023, Environmental justice areas are defined by the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) as any census tract where 20 percent or more of individuals live at or below the federal poverty line, and/or 30 percent or more of the population identifies as non-white, based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the federal guidelines for poverty. Environmental health inequities are complex and affected by various social and environmental factors. In this analysis, we attempt to expand on the original definition using multiple social determinants of health and environmental indicators relevant to environmental justice for Allegheny County.
Indicators
Eight indicators were used to calculate the Environmental Justice Index. Each was given a score from 1 - 10 with a higher score representing a higher need area. The scores for each indicator were averaged for each community to calculate the EJ Index Score. The maps below display the EJ Index as well as the scores for each indicator:
- Educational Attainment
- Flood Risk
- Greenness
- Housing Vacancy
- Median Household Income
- Lead Paint
- Particulate Matter 2.5
- Race
Environmental Justice Index
The Environmental Justice Index was separated into five need categories with equal intervals. Areas along the river valleys, especially the Monongahela River Valley, are among the highest priority need communities.
Educational Attainment
Educational attainment score is defined as the percent of the population with a high school diploma or higher. This index is reversed, as a higher educational attainment is associated with a lower need area. Educational attainment is associated with many aspects of community and personal health such as health literacy and socioeconomic status.
Flood Risk
This map shows the flood risks scores which were calculated based on the depth of a 100-year flood in each community. Because of the geography of Allegheny County, flood risk is an issue for many communities. The results show that many areas along the river valleys have a high risk for deep floods. These areas are also generally the ones with the highest need in other social determinants of health. The effects of climate change will exacerbate these risks and likely disproportionately harm vulnerable communities.
Greenness
The measure for greenness here is from satellite imagery. Residential greenness is an important indicator for community health. This score is reversed as higher levels of greenness are associated with areas of higher social economic status and lower environmental health risks.
Housing Vacancy
Housing vacancy is measured as the percent of homes in each community that are vacant. Housing vacancy is associated with other social determinants of health including urban blight and is a part of a community's built environment.
Income
This map shows the score for median household income in each community. This index is reversed - a higher income is associated with a lower need area. Poverty level is the other indicator for the traditional definition of Environmental Justice. Areas experiencing poverty are often exposed to greater environmental health risks.
Lead Paint
The lead paint score is determined by the percent of homes built before 1960. Lead paint in a home is an environmental health risk for elevated blood lead levels, especially in children. Many areas with higher rates of elevated blood lead levels (Levels above 3.5 μg/dL*) in Allegheny County are also considered highest or high need in the EJ Index.
Particulate Matter
The particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) score is based on the sum of daily and annual PM 2.5 values from the Allegheny County Health Department Air Quality Monitoring System. PM 2.5 directly affects community health. Poor PM 2.5 values are strongly associated with asthma, cardiovascular disease, and mortality.
Allegheny County Health Department employee at the Lawrenceville monitoring station
Race
Race is defined here as the percent of a population that identifies as non-white. It is one of the indicators used in the traditional definition of Environmental Justice areas. The burden of environmental health risks often disproportionally affects communities of color. From this map, we see that areas with higher proportions of non-white residents are associated with high EJ areas, especially in the Monongahela River Valley.
These data do not account for ethnicity. Hispanic individuals make up just over 2% of the population in Allegheny County. Overall results are unlikely to be affected.
Analysis
Areas of Highest Priority Need
* indicates a community in the highest need category in 2022
The table to right shows the communities in the highest priority category from the EJ Index in alphabetical order. This analysis shows that the same communities appear in the highest priority category year after year. Inequities in the Monongahela River Valley are highlighted as areas of highest priority including Braddock, Clairton, Duquesne, Glassport, Homestead, McKeesport, North Braddock, Rankin, and Whitaker.
Esplen and Marshall-Shadeland are communities in the Ohio River Valley that were among the highest priority need based on the EJ Index Score.
The other areas of highest concern, Bluff/Uptown and Larimer, are neighborhoods dispersed throughout the City of Pittsburgh.
Distribution of Need
The category with the largest number of neighborhoods and municipalities is moderate (medium) priority need. One third of the communities fall in the high or highest need category. About 25% of the population of Allegheny County live in the highest and high need areas. That is just over 300,000 people. The category with the highest percent of the population is moderate priority need. In 2022, the highest percent of the population was in the low priority need.
Conclusion
The map of environmental justice communities mirrors that of environmentally sensitive diseases and health complications. The highest priority need areas are often also the areas with the highest rates of health issues such as childhood asthma exacerbations, diabetes and hypertension, obesity, elevated blood lead levels in children and lower life expectancy.
Areas of highest and high need for environmental justice are at the greatest risk for adverse effects of climate change. This is especially true for issues of increasing air pollution and flood risk, which will both be directly impacted by climate change. Support in adapting to the effects of climate change must be prioritized in the communities that are most vulnerable to approach this issue in an equitable way.
Communities in the Monongahela River Valley continue to be in the highest need category for environmental justice.
Communities in the Ohio River Valley emerged in this analysis as environmental justice areas of highest need.
This index allows for a more dynamic evaluation of high priority areas compared to the (former) traditional environmental justice definition. This index can be used as a tool for county programs and community-based organizations to prioritize communities that have higher environmental and social needs.
The next update for the EJ index will occur in 2025, with additional indicators being considered.
Please contact Stephen Strotmeyer at stephen.strotmeyer@alleghenycounty.us for questions on the EJ Index.
