Taking stock of the recent environmental justice scholarship, Toxic Communities examines the connections among residential segregation, zoning, and exposure to environmental hazards. Environmental sociologist Dorceta Taylor focuses on the locations of hazardous facilities in low-income and minority communities and shows how they have been dumped on, contaminated and exposed. Drawing on an array of historical and contemporary case studies from across the country, Taylor explores controversies over racially-motivated decisions in zoning laws, eminent domain, government regulation (or lack thereof), and urban renewal. She provides a comprehensive overview of the debate over whether or not there is a link between environmental transgressions and discrimination, drawing a clear picture of the state of the environmental justice field today and where it is going. In doing so, she introduces new concepts and theories for understanding environmental racism that will be essential for environmental justice scholars.

Introduction:Environmental justice claims -- Toxic exposure : landmark cases in the South and the rise of environmental justice activism -- Disproportionate siting : claims of racism and discrimination -- Internal colonialism : Native American communities in the West -- Market dynamics : residential mobility, or who moves and who stays -- Enforcing environmental protections : the legal, regulatory, and administrative contexts -- The siting process : manipulation, environmental blackmail, and enticement -- The rise of racial zoning : residential segregation -- The rise of racially restrictive covenants : guarding against infiltration -- Racializing blight : urban renewal, eminent domain, and expulsive zoning -- Contemporary housing discrimination : does it still happen? -- Conclusion: Future directions of environmental justice research.