This paper uses an environmental justice framework to explore whether existing vulnerabilities in Puerto Rico are associated with the rate of electricity restoration after Hurricane María. Based on the literature discussing the relationship between vulnerability and environmental justice, we expected that the areas identified as vulnerable to environmental injustice would recover more slowly than less vulnerable areas. We use regression analysis to analyze how well three vulnerability indices based on environmental justice variables predict electricity restoration. We also map the resulting data to spatially situate recovery patterns. This analysis produces mixed evidence of our predictions. In addition to environmental justice factors, other factors, such as terrain and proximity to electric transmission lines, also affected recovery rates, complicating the narrative of recovery. These findings suggest that policymakers seeking to mitigate vulnerability to electricity outages in the wake of natural disasters should incorporate environmental justice analysis in their recovery prioritization decisions, and that this analysis should be contextually specific to the recovery area. Our analysis also includes the construction of environmental justice indices, which have the potential to be a useful advocacy tool for communities seeking to uncover the priorities of stakeholders engaged in recovery.

本文使用环境正义框架来探讨波多黎各现有的脆弱性是否与飓风玛丽亚过后的电力恢复速度有关。根据讨论脆弱性与环境正义之间关系的文献，我们期望被确定为容易遭受环境不公正影响的地区的恢复速度要慢于脆弱程度较弱的地区。我们使用回归分析来分析基于环境正义变量的三个脆弱性指标预测电力恢复的能力。我们还将生成的数据映射到空间位置的恢复模式。这种分析产生了我们的预测的混合证据。除了环境公正性因素外，其他因素（例如地形和与电力传输线的距离）也影响了恢复率，使恢复的叙述复杂化。这些发现表明，寻求减轻自然灾害后电力中断的脆弱性的决策者应将环境公正性分析纳入其恢复优先级决策中，并且该分析应针对具体情况而定。我们的分析还包括环境正义指数的构建，对于试图发现参与恢复的利益相关者的优先事项的社区而言，它有可能成为有用的宣传工具。并且该分析应根据具体情况针对恢复区域。我们的分析还包括环境正义指数的构建，对于试图发现参与恢复的利益相关者的优先事项的社区而言，它有可能成为有用的宣传工具。并且该分析应根据具体情况针对恢复区域。我们的分析还包括环境正义指数的构建，对于试图发现参与恢复的利益相关者的优先事项的社区而言，它有可能成为有用的宣传工具。