Coal strip mining, mountaintop removal, and the distribution of environmental violations across the United States, 2002-2008

This study draws upon concepts in landscape research and environmental justice to examine the association between community poverty and environmental violations that occurred between 2002 and 2008 across 110 coal strip mining operations located within the United States. Multivariate results suggest that residential poverty is greater around facilities that have been identified as violating an environmental law. In addition, the association between poverty and violations is dependent upon regulatory inspections. While an increase in inspections is associated with an increase in the odds that a violation will be discovered, it is also associated with lower levels of community poverty. We conclude that this pattern of associations between poverty, inspections, and violations is consistent with arguments in the environmental justice and landscape literatures.