Rules of Engagement: A Study of Community-Facility Interaction in an Environmental Justice Community

Abstract

This Masters Project explores the phenomena of how an environmental justice community and its neighboring facilities interacted during a recent Title V permit application process. A case study methodology was used to define a study area, identify cases and interview subjects, and collect and analyze data. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three key actors in the North Birmingham (Alabama) neighborhood. These participants provided different perspectives on community-facility engagement: a facility manager, a neighborhood leader and a permitting agency. Data analysis consisted of thematic coding using the framework originated by Bowen, Newenham-Kahindi, and Herremans (2010) and incorporated inductive coding to identify emergent themes. The results showed that community-facility interaction isn’t only experienced during the permitting process; that the neighborhood leader desired engagement efforts that go beyond what is legally required; and that unexpected external factors can impacted community-facility interactions.