Abstract
The purpose of this study was to highlight the potential use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in environmental justice projects with the use of the former Old Smokey Incinerator site of the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, FL as a case study. Geographic Information Systems are systems designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and/or present all types of spatial or geographical data. GIS is widely used across professions including urban planning, crime modeling/analysis, resource management, and population modeling, among many others.
A study area site of with a one mile radius from the current location of the Fire Training Center was established to include areas with high traffic including parks and schools. Soil Samples taken at intervals of 0 – 0.5 ft and 0.5 – 2 ft below the ground were performed at random sites within the Fire Training Center. Measures for arsenic (As), barium (Ba), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) were interpolated using GIS to create a surface depicting estimates of pollutant levels. The IDWs estimate that Arsenic is the most expansive contaminant by far, followed by Lead and Barium, with Cadmium levels being largely below the cleanup target level. Additionally a general trend of pollution is found in the first quadrant, northeast of the Fire Training Center. This area contains two known parks and several residential areas and could provide an area for further focus. Lastly it is noted that additional sampling measures are required to provide a more representative estimate of the intended area of study.