Environmental Justice Considerations in the Distribution of Federal Brownfield Grants: The Impact of Income, Race, and Demographic Changes in Massachusetts (1994–2022)

This study examines the distribution of EPA brownfield grant funding in Massachusetts from 1994 to 2022, focusing on the impact of race, income, and demographic changes. Brownfields are properties complicated by contamination, and the EPA provides grants to assess and clean these sites, promoting environmental justice and sustainability in the impacted communities. This study analyzes grant distribution across Massachusetts municipalities, comparing those with varying income levels, racial compositions, and population changes. Data were obtained from the EPA databases and U.S. Census data, with an additional analysis excluding Boston to assess the city’s impact on the trends. Key findings indicate that the municipalities with higher minority populations and lower incomes were more likely to receive brownfield funding, with larger award amounts and more sites requiring remediation. Income emerged as a stronger predictor of brownfield site prevalence than race, as the municipalities with lower incomes had significantly more sites. The removal of Boston from the dataset clarified the trends, showing that the towns with fewer income gains or minority population increases received more funding. Overall, the results suggest that EPA policies have been effective in directing funding to the communities with greater environmental justice concerns, including those with lower income and minority populations.