Date of Award
College of Liberal Arts
Type of Degree
The dumping of waste into the environment has plagued the mountains of Rural Appalachia for decades. Tire, cars, appliances, and drug producing materials routinely are illegally disposed of via open dumps. The purpose of this research is to reveal the motives of the damaging open dumpsites that damage the beauty of the Appalachian Mountains. The states of Kentucky and West Virginia were analyzed through the use of GIS and descriptive statistics. The distance to refuse centers and application of disposal fees are the leading factors that result to the use of open dumps.
Appalachian Region - Environmental aspects
West Virginia - Environmental aspects
Kentucky - Environmental aspects
Jones, BJ, "The Geography of Open Dumps in Rural Appalachia" (2008). Theses, Dissertations and Capstones. 128.