ABSTRACT
The potential for death and injury from exposure to acutely toxic chemicals is greatest in urban settings where industries, transportation networks and people are in the closest contact. But which cities are the most hazardous? How might we explain the frequency and distribution of chemical hazards in urban America? Using one type of chemical hazard, acute airborne releases, this chapter examines the spatial distribution of these releases in metropolitan areas and provides a classification scheme that distinguishes high hazard areas from low hazard ones. We also describe factors that help to differentiate these hazard regions and speculate on some of the public policy implications of the research.
