Environmental Justice Program
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, including a racial, ethnic, or a socioeconomic group, should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, municipal, and commercial operations or the execution of federal, state, local, and tribal programs and policies.
Meaningful involvement means that: (1) Potentially affected community residents have an appropriate opportunity to participate in decisions about a proposed activity that will affect their environment and/or health. (2) Community resident's contributions can influence the EPA’s decisions. (3) The concerns of all participants involved will be considered in EPA’s decision making process. (4) EPA’s decision makers will seek out and facilitate the involvement of community residents potentially affected.
Questions or concerns?
Contact EPA’s Region 10 Environmental Justice staff.