National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC)

Public Meeting: Select Sessions Available via Teleconference

July 24-25, 2012

*REGISTRATION CLOSES JULY 18*

During the upcoming public meeting of the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC) on July 24 and 25, 2012, the following three sessions will be available via audio teleconference to those unable to attend in person:

Teleconference Session 1 (Tuesday, July 24, 1:15-3:45 p.m. Eastern Time)

* EJ in Permitting: Public Engagement Best Practices (1:15-2:00 p.m.)
* EJ/Children's Health Key Performance Indicators Initiative (2:00-2:15 p.m.)
* Nail Salon Worker Health Exposures (2:15-2:45 p.m.)
* Hydraulic Fracturing (2:45-3:45 p.m.)
Teleconference Session 2 (Wednesday, July 25, 9:15-10:15 a.m. Eastern Time)
* ORD 101: An Overview of EPA’s Research Programs
Teleconference Session 3 (Wednesday, July 25, 1:00-2:00 p.m. Eastern Time)
* EPA Tribal Program: An Overview

Separate phone lines will be used for each session, so please be specific about which sessions you want to attend when registering. There will be not be a public comment period during these sessions.
Please note that a limited number of lines will be available. Those who are pre-registered will be given priority over others on a first-come basis, as capacity allows. Participating individuals will be able to hear “real time” presentations and NEJAC member discussions on the topics specified above. The teleconference will be audio only, in an effort to minimize cost.

You can register as follows:

* By E-mail with “Register for the NEJAC-July Teleconference” in the subject line. Please provide your name, organization, city, state, e-mail address, and telephone number for future follow-up; and specify the teleconference session number(s) that you will attend. That is, if you intend to call in for all three teleconference sessions, you must state that. Separate lists will be kept for each teleconference session (1, 2, and 3).

* By Phone or Fax to 877-773-0779 with your name, organization, city, state, e mail address, and telephone number. Please specify “NEJAC-July Teleconference“ and the teleconference session number(s) that you will attend in your fax or voice message.

For more information, please contact or 877-773-0779.

Interagency Working Group Town Hall Meeting.

Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice Announces a Town Hall Meeting in Durham, North Carolina

The Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice will hold a community stakeholder meeting in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services and other federal partners on Monday, July 16, 2012, from 7pm - 9pm at the Hyati Heritage Center, 804 Old Fayetteville Street, Durham, NC.

These meetings provide an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss best practices and model programs to create more healthy and vibrant communities. Stakeholders include grassroots communities; federal, state, tribal, and local government agencies; business/industry; academics and other interested parties. These regional meetings also provide an opportunity to explore how the federal government can meet its responsibilities and work effectively with communities experiencing environmental justice issues.



Doors open at 6:00 pm.


This events are open to the public.

The Washington Times Reports on EJ Conference

Environmental justice: A new movement to restrict your movement



Environmental justice: Hope and change, or power and control?

Southeast Regional Environmental Justice Conference

 

Registration Now Open

Conference Information

When: August 16-17, 2012

Where: Atlanta Federal Center - Sam Nunn Bldg.
61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta, GA 30303

Cost: FREE

Audience: communities, states, local businesses, colleges, and universities in GA, AL, MS, TN, KY, FL, SC, NC

There are three easy ways to register:

• Online: https://epa.connectsolutions.com/e5t4ysila62/event/registration.html
• By Email: Send an email to mclendon.ella@epa.gov with "Register for the Regional EJ Conference" in the subject line. Please provide your name, organization, mailing address, email address, telephone number, and workshop selections for breakout sessions 1 and 2.
• By Phone: Please call Ella McLendon at 404-562-8316. On the voice message system, please say and spell your name, organization, mailing address, email address, telephone number, and workshop selections for breakout sessions 1 and 2.

Mark your calendars for the Southeast Regional Environmental Justice Conference, to be held in Atlanta, GA on August 16-17, 2012. This conference is essential for promoting environmental justice and equality in EPA Region 4. Registration is now open and will be available through August 10, 2012.

• Learn about tangible solutions to address environmental, social, and health Impacts associated with environmental pollution
• Engage in networking opportunities with environmental justice leaders and organizations
• Participate in various interactive workshops

For more information, contact Sheryl Good (good.sheryl@epa.gov), (404) 562-9559

NEJAC Community Conference Call

 

Intended Audience: Environmental Justice and Tribal Communities or Organizations

  When: June 27, 2012

 Time: 1:00pm-2:00pm EST

 Conference Line: 1-866-299-3188; code: 919-541-5624#

(To participate, please plan to join the call at least 10 minutes prior to the start time. The phone line is limited to 125 participants on a first-come first-served basis)

Purpose: To provide information on upcoming activities in EPA's Air Programs and foster a dialog with communities on their air quality issues. This call will provide updates on the:

• National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC) Meeting scheduled for July 24-25, 2012
• Federal Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Asthma Disparities
• New features of the Ultraviolet Index and how it differs from EPA's Air Quality Index
• Air emissions and associated health impacts as a result of shale gas drilling, fracturing and production
• EPA's Air Programs and Regulations
• • Federal Implementation Plan and Revisions to Regional Haze
  • Particulate Matter National Ambient Air Quality Standards (PM NAAQS)
  • Portland Cement-Amendments in Response to Reconsideration
  • Polyvinyl Chloride and Copolymers Production (PVC) NESHA

For more information, contact Lena Epps-Price (epps-price@epa.gov), (919) 541-5573.

EPA EJ Title VI Comment Period Ends June 19th

Advancing Environmental Justice through Title VI Plan EJ 2014 Draft Supplement Comment Period Ends June 19th.  Administrator Jackson has made improving EPA's civil rights program a priority. Complying with EPA's statutory civil rights obligations is a critical part of the Agency's efforts to advance environmental justice. As part of this effort, EPA is pursuing long overdue, vigorous, robust, and effective implementation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other nondiscrimination statutes.

The Office of Civil Rights (OCR), in consultation with the Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) and the Office of General Counsel (OGC), have developed a draft supplemental implementation plan, "Advancing Environmental Justice through Title VI", for Plan EJ 2014. The draft focuses on Title VI of Civil Rights Act and its integration with Plan EJ 2014.
EPA continues to ask for your comments on the Title VI Draft Supplement. Please visit  to review and provide comments on the supplement.

As a reminder, the opportunity to submit comments via the internet, by email and through postal mail will end at 11:59 p.m. (EST) on Tuesday June 19, 2012.

EPA Environmental Justice Blog

Mustafa Ali

Agency's EJ Blog Launched on April 17th

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IN ACTION

By Mustafa Ali

Nothing brings about change faster than when local communities get involved and organize to improve the conditions in their cities, towns, and neighborhoods. Over the years, I have travelled to communities across the country, where the impacts of pollution and public health problems are all too real. On each of these visits, I have been struck by what a difference it makes when residents are involved in the environmental decision-making and have a voice in designing a vision for the future in the places they call home.

Community engagement is a key tenant of environmental justice and why it is so important that we have a place to share our stories, or successes, and our expertise. It is our hope that this blog will support the online community of advocates working for environmental justice and create a space where we can highlight the positive activities happening in communities to reduce environmental and health disparities. Organizations, businesses and citizens throughout America are trying a wide range of approaches to advance environmental justice. We want to capture these good ideas and connect them to others across the country.

Additionally, many government agencies offer resources for overburdened communities, but it can seem daunting to locate them all. And, since EPA’s Administrator, Lisa P. Jackson, promoted environmental justice as one of her top priorities, there has been important progress at EPA and other federal agencies to address environmental justice concerns and expand the benefits of government programs in low-income and minority communities. Environmental Justice in Action! will also serve as a space where we can share information about the resources, tools, and programs available to help achieve healthy and sustainable communities.

My goal for this blog is to make this a resource for you and to provide an opportunity for everyone to join the conversation on environmentalism. So, it is important that we hear from you! Let us know what types of information would be most useful and interesting to you.What do you want to learn more about? Please post your thoughts and comments here and on future posts to help us better design this blog to meet your needs. While the government can provide support and assist in building capacity in communities, putting environmental justice into action takes you!

About the author: Mustafa Ali currently serves as the Associate Director of Communications for EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice. He has been a national speaker, trainer and facilitator on social justice issues for the past 20 years and focused on the issue of environmental justice for the past 19 years.

EPA EJ Office's New Video Series

EPA's Office of Environmental Justice has officially launched its 20th Anniversary Video Series. These videos feature federal and local government officials, non-profit leaders and students who share stories about the lessons that they have learned over their time working on environmental justice. They will be featured on the Environmental Justice in Action Blog.

The first video available on the blog today features Vernice Miller-Travis. Watch the video, share it, and let EPA know your thoughts in the comments section. Also, be sure to add your e-mail to the subscribe link on the upper right side of the blog's home page to receive EPA's weekly posts. Clicking the "Like" button is another way to let your friends know about this great resource.

California Cap & Trade Discrimination Complaint To EPA

The Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment has filed a complaint with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Friday on behalf of a coalition of environmental justice and civil rights activists alleging that cap-and-trade provisions in California's pioneering program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions discriminate against people of color.

The groups, which represent minority communities, accused the California Air Resources Board of violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when it agreed to allow polluters in low-income areas to use carbon offsets to buy their way out of pollution reduction under the state's global warming reduction plan. Cap and trade allows them to buy allowances from other facilities or offsets from out of state or even internationally, denying communities next to refineries and other polluting businesses the benefits that would occur through direct regulationwhich filed the complaint.

The groups assert that it is discrimination because these communities, which are overwhelmingly populated by people of color are very close to cap-and-trade facilities. In particular, the African American population is disproportionately affected.

The groups fought against oil companies and global warming skeptics to support - AB32, the landmark law passed in 2006 that requires California to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020.  However, the groups opposed the cap and trade provision of AB32 and want to see the benefits on site in the communities that suffer from disproportionately large numbers of pollution-caused illnesses. The EPA complaint mirrors a lawsuit previously filed by the same groups that is still pending in state court.

The Air Resources Board believes efforts to reduce greenhouse gases, including cap-and-trade provisions, will benefit every community, but the goal of AB32 was to reduce statewide carbon emissions, not localized smog. There are separate regulations, he said, that control diesel emissions from buses and trucks and restrict smokestack pollution in ports and rail yards.

The EPA's Office of Civil Rights now has 20 days to decide whether to accept the complaint. If it is accepted, then regulators will have 180 days to investigate the case and make a preliminary finding. The complaint cites studies that show that people of color make up 66 percent of the state's population most heavily hit by pollution, with African Americans making up the vast majority of the victims. (San Francisco Chronicle, 6/12/2012)

Environmental Justice in the Workplace

When people go to work, they put their lives in the hands of their employers. Those employers have a duty of care to their employees to protect them from harm. However, many people are exposed to harmful substances during the course of their work. Sometimes, they contract life-limiting diseases as a result. There is a tendency among some to think exposure to toxic substances only happens in the third world and that in America, we had consigned dangerous working conditions to history with our labor laws. They are wrong. An estimated 350,000 workers contract an industrial disease each year in the United States, caused directly by their working environment. 50,000-70,000 die of them.

Disease and Damage

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is responsible for protecting workers in the US. They exist to enforce legislation on workplace health and safety. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 makes employers responsible for their workers’ health and safety at work, but that does not mean that they always do, despite the OHSA’s best efforts. Some workers, such as farm workers, are not covered by the OSHA but should be covered by state agencies. While legal protection for workers does exist, there are many examples of workers suffering because their employers failed to adequately protect them. Often, these workers come from the most vulnerable groups in society, such as migrant workers. People on low incomes often have no option other than to take jobs in the most dangerous industries. African American and Hispanic workers are over-represented in low-wage, hazardous jobs, and so these communities are more likely than others to be impacted by poor working conditions.

Industrial, construction and agricultural jobs tend to be the most dangerous. Construction and maintenance workers can be exposed to chemicals such as asbestos and other chemical dusts in the fabric of buildings. Manufacturing workers can be exposed to all kinds of liquid and other chemicals in the course of the manufacturing process. Miners often breathe in large quantities of harmful coal dust and other residue. Farm workers are exposed to harmful pesticides and even sometimes to dangerous diseases spread by animals, such as anthrax. Even without exposure to chemicals, workers health can be damaged by long hours and dangerous machinery.Nearly all of the diseases caused by these (and other) hazards can be prevented by good working practices, such as providing proper safety equipment to those handling chemicals, carrying out asbestos surveys and giving all workers safety training.

Workers Fight Back

We know that there are numerous violations of safety legislation every day, as many employers believe they can get away with lax safety standards. However, some workers are not willing to just accept dangerous working conditions and the risks that go with them. Many of them will have seen what those conditions have done to former colleagues.

In California, California Rural Legal Assistance helps farmworkers fight for justice in their working conditions. The California Labor Code exempts farm workers from its forty-hour maximum working week. Instead, they can work for up to sixty hours, despite often facing harsh conditions and physical fatigue. Several farmworkers die just from heat exhaustion each year, and many others’ health is damaged by exposure to chemicals.

The Environmental Justice for Cleaning Workers Campaign fights on behalf of cleaning workers exposed to harmful chemicals in the course of their work. They recognize that cleaning workers are more likely than others to suffer from a range of diseases, including certain cancers, asthma and neurological diseases. Children of cleaning workers are more likely to be born disabled, and women are more likely to miscarry than others. They have had some success in persuading employers to limit the use of harmful chemicals.

These are two local organizations working for change. There should be more.

Can We Do More?

We have legislation in place designed to protect workers from harm, and yet it often fails to do so. No-one should die trying to make a living. Those who suffer most are often those least able to fight back, such as migrant farm workers. National organizations need to help support local groups in their fight against poor working conditions. Individual workers cannot fight back without risking their jobs, and few if any vulnerable workers are unionized. United and with help on their side, they could do so much more.

Environmental Health News Publicizes Environmental Justice

Today Environmental Health News (EHN) begins a three-week series, Pollution, Poverty and People of Color.  They will be examining the long-discussed, rarely-addressed issues of environmental justice in urban and rural communities across America.

Today's story focuses on the refineries and close-in neighborhoods of Richmond, California. The Bay Area city of 103,000 is ringed by five oil refineries, three chemical factories, eight Superfund sites and more.

Help us spread the word.  Contact me or editor Marla Cone if you have questions or comments on the series.

Peter Dykstra

Publisher

Environmental Health News

www.ehn.org

The Daily Climate

www.dailyclimate.org

(o) 770-929-8052

(c) 404-272-3304

Twitter: pdykstra

May – US Asthma Awareness Month

One of the success stories of America’s Clean Air Act is its reduction of asthma attacks by an estimated 1.7 million. Also preventing 130,000 heart attacks and 13 million lost work days this Act is one of the most results focused public health programs Americans have ever seen in their history.

Even during the current Administration measures have been taken to further reduce emissions of mercury, acid gas, particulate matter, arsenic and other harmful chemicals. Almost a year ago the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized the Cross State Air Pollution Rule which also ensured that countless Americans aren’t forced to breathe in contaminated air from other states.

Whilst the Act has helped millions of Americans to live with cleaner air there are still measures that can be taken to improve public health. The month of May symbolizes Asthma Awareness Month as a result the EPA is keen to raise awareness of asthma and encourage Americans take action against the disease and find out how far reaching it can be.

Education and awareness

Asthma affects almost 26 million Americans which includes 7 million children. Whilst there is no cure for the chronic respiratory disease it is manageable if the sufferer and their network of support are educated on asthma’s triggers. Attacks are also preventable as a consequence of this education and awareness.

The highest affected include low income and minority populations and whilst the EPA are working to improve air quality and cut down the environmental causes of the disease they also want to promote asthma awareness so those affected can help themselves too.

Costs and effects

The cost to economy of asthma is around $56 billion. This cost includes both direct medical costs from hospital admissions and visits as well as indirect costs like the amount of lost school and work days.

The EPA states that almost 13 million asthma sufferers report having an asthma attack in the last 12 months – this represents half of the amount of actual sufferers of the disease nationwide.

Of the minority groups EPA found that instances of asthma attacks are highest among Puerto Ricans. They also report that African Americans have higher volume of hospital visits, hospital stays and fatalities than Caucasians.

Measures to manage

On a positive note however the EPA believe that sufferers in America can learn to get their symptoms under control and still have a full and active lifestyle by taking on board some simple advice and measures. The four steps are valuable, common sense tips that could save lives and improve the quality of life for many more.

1) Understanding what triggers your asthma and avoiding it will prevent attacks. Environmental issues like dust mites, mold, secondhand smoke and air pollution can be triggers. Do everything you can to avoid them in your home and surroundings.

2) Taking each day at a time in managing your asthma is important. Seeking advice and developing an asthma action plan with your doctor will help you improve your environment to reduce triggers.

3) Having asthma doesn’t limit you in terms of activity – therefore still be active in your sports and other activities.

4) Local air quality impacts your asthma – asthma sufferers can check air quality conditions to help avoid risk at www.airnow.gov.uk. There is even an Air Quality Index mobile app available for smart phones.

Further advice

More information and advice can be found on the EPA’s website http://www.epa.gov/asthma/

Asthma Awareness Month helps raise awareness of asthma and how it can impact people’s lives. With more education and awareness the disease can be managed effectively and the steps identified here along with the further information on the EPA’s website will help improve the lives of many asthma sufferers. It is hoped too that by understanding the impact of the environment particularly in highest affected groups asthma attacks and hospitalization will reduce.

-----

Holly Redfern is a freelance writer from England who focusses on the unknown dangers in the air we breathe. From her recent analysis of orgaic latex vs memory foam mattresses to the impact of the congestion zone in London her work has been well received in a number of well known environmental blogs and journals.

18th National Health Equity Research Webcast

The 18th National Health Equity Research Webcast (formerly known as the Annual Summer Public Health Research Videoconference on Minority Health) arrives in 4 weeks, with sought-after presenters and a distinguished moderator.

When? Tuesday, June 5, 2012, 1:30-4:00pm EDT

Where? Webcast or Tate-Turner-Kuralt building auditorium

Topic: "Social Determinants of Health Disparities: Moving the Nation to Care about Social Justice"

Featuring:

• Camara P. Jones, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., Division of Epidemiologic and Analytic Methods for Population Health(p), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Ronny A. Bell, Ph.D., M.S., Professor, Wake Forest School of Medicine and Co-Director, Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity
• Aida L. Giachello, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
• Moderator:Cedric M. Bright, M.D., F.A.C.P., Director, Office of Special Programs and Assistant Dean for Admissions, UNC School of Medicine and 112th President, National Medical Association

This free, interactive session will be broadcast with a live audience in the Tate-Turner-Kuralt auditorium at the UNC School of Social Work and can be viewed over the Internet (webcast). Questions will be taken from broadcast participants by email and toll-free telephone.

 More information

Register

To register to view on your personal computer

To register for the studio audience at the TTK auditorium

Answers to frequently asked questions

Comments from last year's participants

The 18^th National Health Equity Research Webcast is presented by the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health Minority Health Project and UNC Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, in association with the UNC American Indian Center and Norfolk State University Ethelyn R. Strong School of Social Work, a partner in the Commonwealth Public Health Training Center. Major cosponsors to date include the UNC Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research. Please consider becoming a cosponsor or providing an endorsement!

Vic Schoenbach (www.unc.edu/~vschoenb/)
Director, Minority Health Project
UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health

Cookie Newsom
Director of Diversity Education and Research
UNC Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs

_________________

* 24+ health disparities-related broadcasts and seminars are available as on-demand webcasts

Southeast Regional Environmental Justice Conference

When: August 16-17, 2012

Where: Atlanta Federal Center - Sam Nunn Bldg.
61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta, GA 30303

Cost: FREE

Audience: communities, states, local businesses, colleges, and universities in GA, AL, MS, TN, KY, FL, SC, NC

Please save the date for the Southeast Regional Environmental Justice Conference, to be held in Atlanta, GA on August 16-17, 2012. This conference is essential for promoting environmental justice and equality in EPA Region 4. Registration and more details will be available soon.

• Learn about tangible solutions to address environmental, social, and health Impacts associated with environmental pollution
• Engage in networking opportunities with environmental justice leaders and organizations
• Participate in various interactive workshops
• Participate in student poster session: Submission deadline, June 1, 2012 at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/EJConferencePosterSession

For more information, contact Sheryl Good (good.sheryl@epa.gov), (404) 562-9559

EPA Environmental Justice Community Outreach Call

May 16, 2012 at 6 p.m. ET

Administrator Lisa P. Jackson has made Expanding the Conversation on Environmentalism and Working for Environmental Justice one of EPA's top priorities. In support of this priority, EPA invites environmental justice advocates to participate on their next Environmental Justice Community Outreach Call, which will take place on May 16, 2012 at 6 p.m. ET.

The purpose of these calls is to provide information to participants about the Agency's EJ activities and maintain an open dialogue with EJ advocates. As EPA continues to advance Plan EJ 2014, the Agency hopes that these calls will better inform the public about EPA's EJ work and enhance opportunities to take advantage of federal activities. Listen to, or read about, previous calls.

EPA is  taking suggestions on agenda topics for the upcoming call. After receiving your suggestions, EPA will select the topic(s) that are of general concern to communities. Please keep in mind that the call will only last one hour, so the number of topics discussed will be limited.
Submit a topic.

For more information about the Administrator's priorities.

For more information about Plan EJ 2014.

New Blog Post on Green Zones

Environmental Justice in Action is featuring blog information about Green Zones. It was written by a member of the organization California Environmental Justice Alliance (CEJA), which defines Green Zones as, "a comprehensive approach to transforming communities overburdened with environmental hazards and lacking economic opportunity into healthy, thriving neighborhoods."

Read about how CEJA members are applying this idea across California.

They are looking for your comments. Tell them if this is an idea that could work in your community or if you or organizations you're working with are trying similar approaches.

To receive updates on their newest blogs, subscribe.

6th Annual Conference A Huge Success

The 6th Annual State of Environmental Justice in America Conference was a very big success. This was the best conference ever and hopefully, if outside forces do not succeed, it sets the stage for the 7th annual conference in 2013.

Some highlights:

The iImpact STEM showcase Clean Energy Venture Challenge presented how applicants could win $100,000 to start your own clean energy business. Attendees spoke with Green Incubators to see how they are shaping the world of Entreprenueralship.

Author Marsha Coleman Adebayo signed autographed copies of her new book "No Fear Coalition."

Exciting speakers included representatives from the US Department of Interior, Environmental Defense Fund, United Negro College Fund and Morgan State University.

Beverly Wade Hogan, President of Tougaloo College and a member of President Obama’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities opened the Minority Alternative and Renewable Energy Forum at the Conference. The purpose of the Forum was to engage participants in activities designed to increase Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) participation in Federal alternative and renewable energy procurement activities, as well as other Federal procurement opportunities.

Leland D. Melvin, NASA associateadministrator for education, addressed the EJConference during the Great American STEM Showcase. Mr. Melvin is responsible for the development and implementation of the agency's education programs that strengthen student involvement and public awareness about its scientific goals and missions.

2012 Conference Agenda

Obama Administration Publishes Environmental Justice Strategies

Designed To Ensure All Communities Are Protected From Environmental Harm

Today, federal agencies, led by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), released environmental justice strategies, implementation plans and progress reports, outlining steps agencies will take to protect communities facing greater health and environmental risks. These strategies represent a significant step forward in the Administration’s commitment to integrating environmental justice into federal decision-making and programs in areas such as transportation, labor, health services, housing and others.

The Administration believes that all Americans should be able to live in healthy communities, share in the benefits of federal programs and initiatives, and have a voice in the federal decision-making process. Yet too often that is not the case, particularly for low-income, minority and tribal populations. To make progress toward addressing these inequities, federal agencies have reviewed their portfolios to assess how their programs, policies, and activities may have disproportionately adverse health and environmental effects. Through this review, they have identified overarching strategies, as well as specific programs and initiatives, to reduce environmental or health hazards, ensure access to beneficial programs, and increase community participation in agency decision-making. For example:

• The Department of Transportation's (DOT) Federal Transit Administration is finalizing an environmental justice circular to help grantees determine whether there are any minority or low-income populations that may be adversely affected by a transit project or decision. DOT’s Federal Highway Administration is working with the National Highway Institute to revamp their course on environmental justice and Title VI.

• The U.S. Department of Labor is translating educational materials and hazard alerts into Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese to ensure that minority workers have access to information they need to avoid environmental hazards on the job.

• The U.S. Department of Energy’s Pueblo Project in Los Alamos, N.M., provides four tribal governments the opportunity to run pollution monitoring programs and provide technical input on National Nuclear Security Administration decisions.

• The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is helping to provide green jobs and workforce development opportunities for veterans in minority and low-income communities.

• The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working with communities to use Health Impact Assessments, to help proactively address the potential impacts a policy or project might have on minority and low income populations. For example, in Baltimore, MD, work is under way to evaluate the human health impact of a vacant property redevelopment program.

The release of these strategies and implementation progress reports is a part of a broad effort the Administration has undertaken to reinvigorate the federal commitment to environmental justice. After more than a decade of inaction, the Administration reconvened the Environmental Justice Interagency Working Group and engaged more than 100 environmental justice leaders at a White House Forum on Environmental Justice. Throughout 2011, federal agencies participated in more than 15 listening sessions across the country to learn from stakeholders how the federal government can better partner with overburdened communities to reduce environmental and health burdens. Then, in August 2011, 16 federal agencies committed to finalizing environmental justice strategies and releasing annual implementation progress reports.

Federal agencies releasing new environmental justice strategies by February 2012 include: the Department of Agriculture, Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Transportation, Department of Interior, Department of Veterans Affairs and General Services Administration. The EPA and the Department of Energy published new strategies in 2011 and 2008, respectively, and released annual implementation plans last year. They both continue to take public comment on their strategies and will update each strategy, as appropriate. The U.S. Department of Justice recently released its annual implementation progress report. The Department of Defense released its strategy in 1995 and this year will be releasing an annual implementation progress report. The Department of Education, Department of Homeland Security and Department of Commerce have taken public comment on their draft strategies and are working to finalize their strategies and implementation reports.

More Information

EPA Region 4 Environmental Justice Survey

Regional Environmental Justice Conference Feedback Survey

1. Overview

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4, Office of Environmental Justice is planning a regional environmental justice conference to provide Region 4 stakeholders an opportunity to learn more about environmental justice, dialogue around specific topics, and to network with each other. To ensure that the conference is relevant, meets your expectations, and is informative, we would like your feedback.

The conference will be held in Atlanta, GA and is tentatively scheduled for August 2012.The survey is very short and should take no more than 5 minutes to complete. Please feel free to forward the link to others who may be interested in providing their input.

The survey will close on January 31, 2012. If you have any questions, please contact Sheryl Good of my staff at 404-562-9559 or at good.sheryl@epa.gov. Denise Tennessee, Acting DirectorOffice of Environmental Justice, Region 4.