Detroiters Working For Environmental Justice

Mission

Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice works with communities to create cleaner, healthier and safer neighborhoods.

Vision

DWEJ envisions Detroit as a vibrant urban center in SE Michigan where all thrive in environmental, economic, and social health. We aim to foster sustainable communities by:

• Reducing health hazards
• Encouraging sustainable development
• Influencing economic vitality in the communities we serve

Background

Since 1994, DWEJ has been a voice for environmental justice in Michigan. Historically, minority and low-income populations have suffered disproportionately from environmental pollution, often because they have the least capacity to respond. DWEJ is dedicated to empowering urban residents to take a meaningful role in the decision-making process surrounding environmental concerns in their own communities.

They are also about building connections—between jobs and a healthy environment, community development and environmental justice, community-driven policy and economic development.

Guy Williams, CEO

Guy Williams is a DWEJ founding member and also served for many years on the Board of Directors. He has been the CEO of DWEJ for two years.  Williams was formerly the owner of the consulting firm G.O. Williams & Associates, LLC. He waas previously Program Manager at Fair Food Foundation, Sr. Director, Community Relations and Great Lakes Regional Director at National Wildlife Federation, He is a graduate of Bucknell University.

 

He served as Chair of the Washtenaw County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, on the board of the S.E. Michigan Sustainable Business Forum and Vice-Chair of the national board of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. He is a member of the External Advisory Committee of the University of Michigan’s Center for Sustainable Systems, Great Lakes Leadership Academy Board of Governors and the Michigan Green Chemistry Roundtable.

Williams is a registered lobbyist in the State of Michigan, board member of Eastern Market Corporation (Detroit), recent past president of the Legacy Land Conservancy and board member of Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice.

A Review of State-Level Analytical Approaches for Evaluating Disproportionate Environmental Health Impacts

Abstract

While many federal agencies are undertaking environmental justice-related activities to respond to Executive Order 12898 issued by President Clinton in 1994: “Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations,” there is a lack of guidance on how to assess disproportionate human health or environmental effects of agency programs, policies, and actions on minority and low-income populations. Meanwhile, many state governments are now developing their own strategies for identifying disproportionate environmental health impacts and addressing environmental justice concerns.

The purpose of this study is to review the diversity of state-level approaches and methodologies for conducting disproportionate environmental health impact evaluations as part of their environmental justice programs and initiatives. We found state approaches to these assessments, often called “environmental justice analyses” range from simple qualitative evaluations of demographic indicators, such as race and income, to complex quantitative analyses of environmental health hazards such as statistical modeling across populations and geographic regions.

In spite of the progress many states have made to develop methods for disproportionate environmental health impact assessment, several challenges remain such as linking these evaluation approaches to health risks so as to be useful in regulatory decision making, greater quantity and variety of robust data sets at the proper spatial resolution, increased funding to implement programs over the long-term, and collaboration among relevant governmental agencies at all levels. (Mary Ann Liebert)

Author information

Devon Payne-Sturges, Amalia Turner, Jessica Wignall, Arlene Rosenbaum, Elizabeth Dederick, and Heather Dantzker

Dr. Payne-Sturges is Assistant Center Director for Human Health at ORD/National Center for Environmental Research in Washington, DC. Ms. Turner is a senior associate at ICF International in Durham, North Carolina. Ms. Wignall is an Environmental Sciences and Engineering MSPH candidate at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Ms. Rosenbaum is a technical director at ICF International in Rohnert Park, California. Dr. Dederick is a manager at ICF International in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. Dr. Dantzker is a manager at ICF International in Fairfax, Virginia.

Address correspondence to:

Devon C. Payne-Sturges

Assistant Center Director for Human Health

ORD/National Center for Environmental Research

1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Mail Code 8723P

Washington, DC 20460-0001

E-mail: payne-sturges.devon@epa.gov