Environmental Risk Data Collection with Regional Environmental Council

Welcome to our team webpage!

Overview

We are a group of students from WPI working with the Regional Environmental Council (REC), a non-profit organization located in Worcester that strives to better the lives of disadvantaged residents.  The REC has two main programs, Food Justice and Environmental Health and Justice.  The Environmental Health and Justice Program will be the focus of our project.  We will collect data to assist them in their application for the Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) Grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

To learn more about the Regional Environmental Council, visit their website www.recworcester.org

Background of Project

We will be documenting environmental hazards that exist in five of Worcester’s lowest income, and highest minority communities; Main South, Piedmont, Quinsigamond Village, Oak Hill, and Bell Hill.  We will then compare the placement and density of these hazards, relative to each neighborhood, to the demographics of that neighborhood, including race, income, and education level.  If these hazards are unfairly distributed in Worcester, this will support the REC’s grant application.

What is Environmental Justice?

Environmental Justice is the fair and equal distribution of environmental burdens, such as pollution and landfills.

What is an Environmental Hazard?

An Environmental Hazard is an occurrence or substance, such as pollution or toxic waste sites, which pose a threat to the health of the people and environment around them.

 

Check out our blog over the next 7 weeks to stay up to date with our progress.

Final Report:

Environmental Injustice  In Five Worcester Communities  The Role of Income, Race, and Education on  Unequal Exposure to Environmental Hazards

Project Video: