Proximity, Pollution, and Public Health: Community-Driven Hazardous Waste Research Priorities
Research Needs
Research on the health impacts associated with proximity to hazardous waste sites and the adequacy of health protective practices, including but not limited to setbacks.
- What are the short- and long-term health outcomes associated with living near hazardous waste disposal sites, and how are these outcomes impacted by setback protections?
- What are the primary pathways through which communities near hazardous waste facilities are exposed to environmental hazards, and how do these pathways differ based on site characteristics or record of facility violations?
- How do social determinants of health interact with environmental exposures from hazardous waste sites to influence health disparities in adjacent communities?
Background & Policy Context
Kettleman City residents have been organizing since the 80s to protect their community from multiple environmental hazards, most notably the Chemical Waste Management’s Kettleman Hills landfill, which is the largest hazardous waste landfill in the west and is located just over two miles from Kettleman City.
Residents of Kettleman City and other communities impacted by hazardous waste facilities are currently working to ensure that California’s new permitting framework for hazardous waste disposal protects public health. They are focused on issues of setbacks, violations, and community engagement within the permitting process.
In 2015, SB 673 required the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to address community environmental concerns regarding the location and operation of hazardous waste facilities by updating its permitting criteria to include “the vulnerability of, and existing health risks to, nearby populations” and to consider setting minimum setback distances from sensitive locations (schools, homes, hospitals, elder care facilities, etc.). In response, the DTSC released a draft regulatory approach in 2018, which was updated based on public comment in May 2021. The DTSC took additional comments on this revised draft through October 2021, which will be incorporated into the draft formal regulatory text that will be submitted to the Office of Administrative Law. The status of SB 673 can be found on DTSC’s SB 673 Permit Criteria – Community Protection page. As of the writing of this document, DTSC is proposing a facility-specific, risk-based approach, rather than a fixed setback distance.