New research shows nearly half of U.S. pre-K-12 schools are near environmental hazard sites

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] - More than 3 million children enrolled in pre-K-12 schools in the U.S. attend a school located within a quarter mile of a known environmental hazard site tracked by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Brown University researchers found that 8% of the country's schools are located within a quarter mile of a hazardous site, such as a Superfund site, brownfield or Toxics Release Inventory facility, as defined by the EPA. And approximately 44% of pre-K-12 schools are located within a mile of a site, a distance where negative exposure effects on health and academic achievement have been documented.

"It was shocking to us to discover how common it was for schools to be located near toxic sites and industrial pollution," said Matthew Kraft, a professor of education and economics at Brown who coauthored the study. "This is something we need to be concerned about in nearly every community and across every state in the U.S."

Risks are borne disproportionately by Native, Black, Hispanic and low-income students, who are 124%, 86%, 43% and 40%, respectively, more likely to attend schools within a quarter mile of a hazardous site, according to the study.

"Industrial operations often located their facilities in marginalized communities that have more limited political and economic power to oppose them," the researchers wrote. "As a result, students of color and low-income students face disproportionate exposure to environmental hazards while in school."

The Brown University research team, which included Annenberg Institute Research Associate Sohil Malik and Project Director Grace Falken, also identified geographic variation. They found that schools in cities face the greatest potential exposure, with 12.7% within a quarter mile of an environmental hazard site, followed by towns at 10.3%.

Regionally, schools in the Northeast and Midwest were most likely to be located within a quarter mile of an environmental site, whereas schools in the West and South were less likely.

Identifying schools near pollution sites can support targeted monitoring of air, soil and water quality; expanded remediation efforts; modernization of school facilities; and more accurate communication of health risks to students, families and staff, according to the researchers.

"We think this study can help to shine a light on the critical importance of providing safe and healthy learning environments for students," Kraft said. "We're hopeful the new descriptive evidence we compiled about the thousands of schools located within a few blocks of hazardous sites can help elevate this issue among policymakers and school leaders."