FHWA Resource Center
PLANNING TEAM
Title VI/Environmental Justice
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 states that no person, in the United States, shall on the grounds of race, color or national origin, be
• excluded from participation in,
• denied benefits of, or
• subjected to discrimination
in any program or activity receiving federal funding. Environmental justics falls under the Title VI "umbrella".
A 1994 Presidential Executive Order directed every Federal agency to make environmental justice part of its mission by identifying and addressing the effects of all programs, policies, and activities on "minority populations and low-income populations." The DOT's environmental justice initiatives accomplish this goal by involving the potentially affected public in developing transportation projects that fit harmoniously within their communities without sacrificing safety or mobility.
Environmental justice and Title VI are not new concerns. Today, because of the evolution of the transportation planning process, they are receiving greater emphasis. Effective transportation decision making depends upon understanding and properly addressing the unique needs of different socioeconomic groups. This is more than a desktop exercise; it requires involving the public. The U.S. DOT is committed to this more comprehensive, inclusive approach. These changes make sure that every transportation project nationwide considers the human environment.
WHAT IS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE?
There are three fundamental environmental justice principles:
• To avoid, minimize, or mitigate disproportionately high and adverse human health and environmental effects, including social and economic effects, on minority populations and low-income populations.
• To ensure the full and fair participation by all potentially affected communities in the transportation decision-making process.
• To prevent the denial of, reduction in, or significant delay in the receipt of benefits by minority and low-income populations.
In addition to Resource Center training and technical assistance opportunities, the following links provide a good source of information on these important topics:
• EJ Overview-- http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/ej2000.htm
• Legislation & Guidance -- http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/ejustice/facts/index.htm
• Case Studies-- http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/ejustice/case/index.htm
Training
• Through National Highway Institute-- http://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/training/list_catalog.aspx?cat=t&key=&num=142&loc=&sta=&tit=&typ=&lev=&ava=&str=&end=&drl=
• Through Resource Center
• Topics Related to EJ
• Public Involvement-- http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/pubinv2.htm
• Tribal Planning--
• Limited English Proficiency (LEP)-- http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/lowlim/index.htm
• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)-- http://environment.fhwa.dot.gov/projdev/index.asp
• Community Impact Assessment (CIA)-- http://www.planning.dot.gov/Documents/Resources/usefulOnline.htm#publicInvolve
• Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS)-- http://www.contextsensitivesolutions.org/?
For further information, contact:
Brian Betlyon brian.betlyon@dot.gov
Jocelyn Jones jocelyn.jones@dot.gov
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