Who Bears the Burden?

The Union of Concerned Scientists analysis reveals that Asian American, African American, and Latino residents in Massachusetts face significantly higher exposure to PM2.5 from cars, trucks, and buses than white residents. This disparity is attributed to historical decisions regarding transportation, housing, and land use. The document advocates for prioritizing clean transportation technologies—such as electric vehicles and buses—and infrastructure improvements in the most burdened communities to reduce health inequities.

• Asian American, African American, and Latino residents in Massachusetts are exposed to higher concentrations of PM2.5 from on-road transportation compared to white residents. Specifically, Asian American residents' exposure is 36 percent higher, African American residents' is 34 percent higher, and Latino residents' is 26 percent higher than that of white residents.
• There is a strong correlation between racial demographics and pollution levels in Massachusetts; in areas where PM2.5 concentrations exceed 200 percent of the state average, white residents make up only 56 percent of the population, despite comprising nearly 75 percent of the state's total population.
• A significant number of residents of color live in high-pollution areas: over 372,000 Latino, 283,000 African American, and 231,000 Asian American residents live in Massachusetts areas where pollution exceeds the state average.
• Vehicle pollution is geographically concentrated in downtown Boston, along the I-93 and I-95 corridors, and in gateway cities including Lowell, Lawrence, New Bedford, and Fall River. The highest level of vehicle emissions in the state is found in Boston's Chinatown near the I-93 and Mass Pike interchange, while Springfield's transportation emissions are more than 43 percent above the state average.
• The inequitable distribution of pollution is the result of historical decisions regarding land use, housing, and transportation, including the placement of highways and the distribution of public transit investments.
• In 2015, the combined health and climate costs associated with passenger vehicles in Massachusetts were approximately $2.9 billion, with health costs—including premature deaths and emergency room visits—accounting for about two-thirds of that total.
• To address these inequities, the document recommends that Massachusetts prioritize investments in electric buses for communities with high diesel emissions, expand the MOR-EV rebate program for low- and moderate-income residents, and ensure equity is a key consideration in the design of clean transportation infrastructure.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2019). Who Bears the Burden? https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2020-05/inequitable-exposure-to-vehicle-pollution-ma.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Who Bears the Burden? 2019. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2020-05/inequitable-exposure-to-vehicle-pollution-ma.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Who Bears the Burden? |date=June 2019 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2020-05/inequitable-exposure-to-vehicle-pollution-ma.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2019who, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Who Bears the Burden?}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2019}, month = jun, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2020-05/inequitable-exposure-to-vehicle-pollution-ma.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }