In the United States, industrial pollution and hazards are analyzed only after specific plans for new facilities are proposed. The environmental impacts of new projects are rarely evaluated and compared with existing facilities. In this paper I argue that industrial development and environmental decisions must be closely linked. A framework for characterizing and assessing the environmental impacts of various stages in the life cycle of consumer products is proposed. I use this framework to examine the environmental costs of electric vehicle production in Southern California. Special attention is given to spatial variations of hazards within individual regions and the need to incorporate clean technologies in the design of manufacturing processes.
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