Research Symposium

BIO

Hi! I'm from Birmingham, Alabama, and I'm passionate about political ecology, especially issues of environmental racism. I'm getting a dual degree Political Science and Environment & Society, and I’m committed to understanding and addressing the systemic inequalities in environmental policy. I’m pre-law, with the goal of litigating for the EPA to hold polluters accountable and, eventually, serving in an elected office to push for meaningful environmental justice reforms.

Environmental Justice Concerns in Rural Planning and Regional Biosolids Management​

Abstract

Planning for biosolids has become a complex issue that is causing researchers and practitioners to reevaluate the concepts of environmental justice and sustainability. This study reviewed over 100 scholarly articles related to biosolids management, rural planning, regional planning, urban planning, environmental justice, and sustainability. Given the relatively limited research on biosolids planning, we find that a more holistic approach to management is needed. One that considers not only the environmental impacts but also long-term social and human health impacts across regions. From a planning perspective, the literature indicates that regional planning processes between urban and rural sectors need to be more inclusive and conscious of rural realities.​

Keywords: biosolids, sustainability, environment, development