Over half of US parks are within two miles of toxic release sites

A study finds over half of US parks are within two miles of toxic release sites, and 2,442 parks overlap with Superfund pollution zones. Using ParkServe and EPA data, researchers found 52.6% of parks fall within two miles of Toxic Release Inventory sites, and 9.3% have such sites overlapping or within half a mile. Additionally, 17.7% of parks are within two miles of Superfund sites. The spatial analysis in ArcGIS Pro highlights that green spaces and polluting sites are not mutually exclusive, prompting calls for localized attention and advocacy to safeguard environmental and human health.