Refining Expertise: How Responsible Engineers Subvert Environmental Justice Challenges

Winner of the 2015 Rachel Carson Prize presented by the Society for Social Studies of Science

Residents of a small Louisiana town were sure that the oil refinery next door was making them sick. As part of a campaign demanding relocation away from the refinery, they collected scientific data to prove it. Their campaign ended with a settlement agreement that addressed many of their grievances—but not concerns about their health. Yet, instead of continuing to collect data, residents began to le...