Response to Eric J. Krieg's "The Two Faces of Toxic Waste: Trends in the Spread of Environmental Hazards"

A response to Eric J. Krieg's "The Two Faces of Toxic Waste: Trends in the Spread of Environmental Hazards" (1998 [see abstract 9813457]) notes that Krieg's assertion that communities with higher commercial/industrial tax bases are more likely to experience greater industrial control over the political economy, &, therefore, more apt to be selected as environmental hazard sites, is valid. However, his claim that it is unclear whether poor communities accept hazards for economic reasons or because they are less politically capable fails to recognize the mutual reinforcement of those factors. Economic desperation creates structural conditions that encourage industrial power & forces communities to view potential hazards as benefits. Because the introduction of environmental hazards reduces property values & discourages "cleaner" investors, lower-class community standing can be seen as both a precondition for, & the result of, toxic waste production. 5 References. J. Lindroth