Environmental Justice

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Environmental Justice

Terms Used to Conduct an Impact Analysis
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Environmental Justice

• Environmental Justice is the fair treatment and
  meaningful involvement of all people regardless
  of race, color, national origin, or income with
  respect to the development, implementation, and
  enforcement of environmental laws, regulations
  and policies. Fair treatment means that no group
  of people should bear a disproportionate share of
  negative environmental consequences resulting
  from industrial, municipal, and commercial
  operations or the execution of federal, state,
  local, and tribal programs and policies.
• Source EPA

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THE 4 DOMAINS OF EJ
KNOWING THE COMMUNITY
DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACTS
BENEFITS BURDENS
MEANINGFUL INVOLVEMENT
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MINORITY

• Individual(s) who are members of the following
  population groups
• American Indian or Alaskan Native
• Asian or Pacific Islander
• Black, not of Hispanic origin
• Hispanic

Source US Census
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LOW INCOME

• Households Below the Poverty Level
• Based on number of individuals
• Dollar amount varies
• Geographic area
• Annually updated by Census Bureau
• Family of 4 - 17,XXX

Source US Census 2001
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DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT ANALYSIS

• Impacted Area and Community of Comparison
• Disproportionately High and Adverse
• Human Health
• Ecological
• Economic
• Cultural
• Social
• Historic

Source EO 12898
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COMMUNITIES OF COMPARISON
A single analysis is not a robust indicator,
potential units of geographic analysis

• Benefits and burdens areas
• Governing bodies jurisdiction
• A neighborhood
• Census tract
• Or other similar unit
• Chosen as to not artificially dilute or inflate
  the affected minority population

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MINORITY POPULATION

• Minority population in impacted area is
  meaningfully greater than the minority population
  in the community of comparison
• Minority population in impacted area exceeds 50
  

Source Council on Environmental Quality,
Appendix A
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LOW INCOME MINORITY

• Those living in the impacted area
• Those who frequent the impacted area
• Seasonally
• Occasionally
• Those who use resources for subsistence
• Sum minority population groups in analysis

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CUMULATIVE

• Cumulative Environmental Exposure

Exposure to one or more chemical, biological,
physical, or radiological agents across
environmental media (e.g. air, water, soil) from
single or multiple sources, over time in one or
more locations, that have the potential for
deleterious effects to the environment and/or
human heath.
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MULTIPLE

• Multiple Environmental Exposure

Exposure to any combination of two or more
chemical, biological, physical or radiological
agents (or two or more agents from two or more of
these categories) from single or multiple sources
that have the potential for deleterious effects
to the environment and/or human health.