Structures of Environmental Inequality: Property and Vulnerability

Abstract

Abstract

Property in land is fundamental to the legal system of rights and citizenship in the United States. Real property shapes both identity and life chances. This article considers three distinct environmental disasters and examines how real property contributes to or protects from environmental harm in each case: the West Virginia coalfields, Flint, Michigan, and Porter Ranch, California. The comparison shows that marginal property, signifying property ownership from a position of economic marginalization, can increase exposure to environmental harm. In addition, while high-value property protects, the increasing environmental crisis puts such protection into question.