Fundamentals of Environmental Justice (EJ) & EJSCREEN Overview

Fundamentals of Environmental Justice (EJ)

& EJSCREEN Overview

November 13, 2020

Schuylkill Action Network

Presentation Overview

• What is Environmental Justice (EJ)

• Definitions

• Brief History of EJ Movement

• EJSCREEN Overview

• Data

• Uses

• Limitations

EJSCREEN Overview Presentation 2


Why EJ Matters?

• “Whether by conscious design or institutional neglect, communities of color in urban ghettos, in rural 'poverty pockets,' or on economically impoverished Native-American reservations face some of the worst environmental devastation in the nation.” • Dr. Robert Bullard


What is Environmental Justice (EJ)?

• EPA defines environmental justice as 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.


What is EJ? – Fair Treatment

• Fair treatment means no group of people should

bear a disproportionate share of the negative

environmental consequences resulting from

industrial, governmental and commercial

operations or policies.


What is EJ? – Meaningful Involvement

• Meaningful involvement means:• People have an opportunity to participate in decisions

about activities that may affect their environment and/or health

• Decision makers will seek out and facilitate the involvement of those potentially affected

• Community concerns will be considered in the decision making process

• The public's contribution can influence the regulatory agency's decision


EJ Movement

• Seeks to protect those who are politically

disenfranchised and/or economically incapable of

making significant changes in their neighborhood.

• Strives to end the environmental racism arising from

the abuse and neglect of the local environment

• Seeks to systemically address and redress the

disproportionate burden placed on low-income and

minority communities


EJ Movement History

• Bean v. Southwestern Waste Management Corp.

• EJ movement captures national attention in Warren County, NC

• 1983 - U.S. GAO finds that 3 out of 4 off-site hazardous waste sites in Region 4 located near minority communities

• 1987 – Race is identified as most significant factor in siting of hazardous waste facilities (TSDFs)

• 1992 - National Law Journal alleges EPA engages in “environmental racism”• Federal fines not as strict for industries operating in communities of

color• Clean-up efforts in those communities were slower• Standards for clean-up in communities of color were not as high

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iCxh0BYjgI


EJ History

• 1992 - EPA establishes Office of Environmental Justice

• President Clinton issues Executive Order 12898 in 1994• “directing federal agencies to develop environmental justice strategies

to help federal agencies address disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of their programs on minorityand low-income populations.”

• 2007 - Toxic Waste and Race at Twenty study concluded that people of color are found to be more concentrated around hazardous waste facilities than previously shown

• 2010 - Former EPA Administrator, Lisa P. Jackson, established environmental justice as an Agency-wide priority.

• EJ 2020 Action Agenda: Integrate environmental justice into the Agency's day-to-day operations.


What is EJSCREEN?

• EPA’s web-based GIS tool for nationally consistent EJ

screening and mapping

• Combines environmental and

demographic data to highlight areas

where vulnerable populations may

be disproportionately impacted by pollution.

• EJSCREEN is a starting point. It is a pre-decisional screening tool; does not direct final outcomes for EPA.

• EJSCREEN highlights places for further review for the potential for EJ concerns.

• Baseline screening should be supplemented with local information and experience.

• EJSCREEN does not cover all environmental issues.

• EJSCREEN does not identify “EJ Communities”


Limitations For Using EJSCREEN

• 11 EJ Indexes – one for each environmental indicator

• combines environmental and demographic data to highlight areas where vulnerable populations may be disproportionately impacted by pollution

• Web accessible

• Standard printable reports, maps, and bar graphs

• Ability to download raw data

• Annually updated demographics – from most recent U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)

• Higher resolution maps than previous tools


Key Features

• Over 217,000 block groups in the U.S.

• The average block group has about 1,400 residents.

• Highest resolution available for most EJSCREEN data.


Geographic Unit is the Block Group

The small colored irregular polygons are block groups


Results Are Ranked as Percentiles

• Percentiles put indicators into common units of 0 – 100.

• For example, a place at the 80th percentile nationwide means

20% of the US population has a higher value.

• Ranking values as percentiles allows

comparison of indicators measured

with different units. It does not mean

the risks are equal or comparable.


Environmental Indicators

Environmental Indicator Raw Data Type (Units)Indicator

Descriptor

Year Data

Published

Particulate Matter Potential Exposure 2016

Ozone Potential Exposure 2016

National Air Toxics Assessment (NATA) Diesel PM Potential Exposure 2014

NATA Air Toxics Cancer Risk Hazard/Risk 2014

NATA Respiratory Hazard Index Hazard/Risk 2014

Lead Paint Indicator Potential Exposure 2013-2017

Traffic Proximity Proximity 2017

Proximity to Superfund (NPL) sites Proximity 2019

Proximity to Risk Management Plan (RMP) facilities Proximity 2019

Proximity to Hazardous Waste Facilities Proximity 2019

Wastewater Discharger Indicator Proximity 2019


Components of EJ Indexes

One Environmental Indicator

X (Demographic Index – US Average Demographic Index)

X __Block Group Population_______________________

EJ Index for Given Environmental Indicator

• EJ indexes can be calculated to compare to the rest of the nation, EPA region, or state for each block group.

• It helps identify areas that may have higher pollution burdensand vulnerable populationspresent.


What does the EJ Index mean?

• The EJ index combines environmental and demographic data to highlight areas where vulnerable populations may be disproportionately impacted by pollution.

You can view all of the indicators in EJSCREEN within reports or on maps.


Viewing EJSCREEN Data

• A standard report gives you all the indicators at once for a single specified location

• A map gives you one indicator at a time, for each of the block groups within a wider area (e.g. across several miles)


You Can Specify User-Defined Areas to Generate Standard Reports


EJSCREEN has Many Other Map Layers

EJSCREEN adds many other types of data by overlaying various datasets (called “layers”)

Sites and Places

Boundaries

Tribal Land

Nonattainment Areas

Layer from the Web

Other Information

EJSCREEN in Action


EPA uses EJSCREEN in the following ways:• for public outreach and engagement • enforcement targeting • inclusion in inspection reports • permitting and NEPA reviews • reviews of grant projects • other placed-based initiatives• Inclusion in CCDS/ICIS

• Retrospective Reporting

EJSCREEN Homepage


Live Demo

https://www.epa.gov/ejscreen


Why EJ Matters?

• “Whether by conscious design or institutional neglect, communities of color in urban ghettos, in rural 'poverty pockets,' or on economically impoverished Native-American reservations face some of the worst environmental devastation in the nation.” • Dr. Robert Bullard

Fundamentals of Environmental Justice (EJ) & EJSCREEN Overview

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