2022 LafAyette area household survey

Study Overview

In 2022, researchers from Virginia Tech received funding to conduct a door-to-door survey of communities within one mile of the Lafayette-Elliston border. Funding came from the Virginia Tech Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention for the purpose of exploring the question: Are residents within a one-mile radius of the Lafayette-Elliston border in Montgomery County, VA, an overburdened environmental community?

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, an overburdened community is one in which minority, low-income, tribal, or indigenous populations or geographic locations in the United States potentially experience disproportionate environmental harms or risks. If a community is found to be overburdened, that community may become an ‘environmental justice’ community – a community that is federally protected against experiencing a disproportionate share of environmental stressors such as those from industrial, governmental, or commercial operations.

The community of Lafayette in Eastern Montgomery County is the most industrially burdened area of Montgomery County and is also one of the lowest-income areas of the county. The community’s current pollution burden includes Interstate 81; Highway 460; Norfolk Southern Railroad, which transports train cars of uncovered coal; truck traffic to a Roanoke County landfill; and several small manufacturing facilities. In addition, permits have been approved for an intermodal rail yard, the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) methane gas transmission line and gate station – which are currently under construction, and a Luv’s truck stop and travel center.

The presence of existing environmental burdens plus the recent flurry of industrial projects prompted community advocates to work with Virginia Tech researchers to conduct a household survey in Lafayette and northern Elliston. The door-to-door survey included questions about historical residence and regional identity, health and ages, income and ethnicity, as well as questions about community members’ concerns and satisfactions. We were able to collect data from approximately every other home within the one-mile radius for a total of 182 households (51%). If one household declined to participate, we went to the next address listed to complete the survey. Community members were hired to conduct surveys to establish rapport and ensure voices in the community were represented. Undergraduates from Virginia Tech were hired to serve as scribes while community members asked survey questions.

In addition to the survey data, a team led by Dr. Gabriel Isaacman-Wertz from Virginia Tech Environmental Engineering placed a Purple Air particulate matter air monitor and a weather station near the center of the study area.

Data analysis shows that 51% of respondents in 2022 consider themselves Appalachian and 28% have lived in the area for 25 years or more. In addition, 35% of households have at least one resident who is Hispanic or a person of color. One major indicator of a potential environmental justice community is the income levels of a community. Out of 136 households that provided income information, we found that 59% of households reported income less than $59,040 in annual household income, qualifying the Lafayette-Elliston border community as low-income according to the Virginia Environmental Justice Act (VEJA). An additional indicator of overburden is the health status of a community. Our surveys found that 41% of households had at least one resident with a chronic illness, most of which (39%) were heart or lung conditions that may be exacerbated by air pollution. 

 Aerial view of the neighborhoods canvassed as part of the 2022 Lafayette Area Household Study.