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EPA Releases Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool

‘EJSCREEN’ Expected to Guide Agenda for Rule-Writers and Citizen Activists

In its latest move to make environmental data more transparent and readily available to the public at large, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a new environmental justice (EJ) screening and mapping tool (EJSCREEN) that uses high-resolution maps combined with environmental and demographic data to identify places with arguably higher pollution burdens and vulnerable populations.  Some predict that EJSCREEN will serve as a powerful tool to environmental and other citizen groups who want to target EJ communities and the industrial operations within them.  For EPA’s part, the agency states: “Engaging the public, meeting with stakeholder groups and affected people, and utilizing tools like EJSCREEN are some critical ways to consider environmental justice in EPA’s rulemaking actions.”

EJSCREEN is designed to identify communities with potentially greater risk of exposure to pollution based on “environmental indicators,” including the presence of air pollution (e.g., air toxics, elevated ozone or particulate levels) or lead-based paint dust, and the proximity to chemical and hazardous waste treatment centers, Superfund sites, or direct water dischargers. These indicators are combined with demographic data from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community 5-year Summary Survey, enabling users to focus on areas with minority or low-income populations that also face potential pollution issues. The tool can produce printable reports, maps and bar graphs.

According to EPA, EJSCREEN may be used to support “educational programs, grant writing, and community awareness efforts” and for other purposes.  The enforcement chief at EPA headquarters Cynthia Giles stated in a recent blog post that “the agency has been integrating environmental justice into our rules for years.”  EPA recently advanced those efforts by releasing its final Guidance on Considering Environmental Justice During the Development of a Regulatory Action

Environmental justice data also is used in government as well as citizen enforcement of environmental laws and during the public notice and participation/comment opportunities under various environmental permitting and approval processes.  In early 2015, more than 40 environmental advocacy groups sent a letter to the EPA Administrator on the importance of releasing EJSCREEN for public input and use as soon as possible.

Members of the regulated community are likely well aware of the heightened public scrutiny that goes along with EJ outreach efforts. It may be useful for AGC members to use EJSCREEN to prepare for action against perceived environmental harms. 

“Environmental justice” is defined as the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.

EPA has initiated a stakeholder engagement period over the next six months.  EPA will collect feedback on the datasets and design of the tool—as well as how it could be further enhanced—and will release a revised version in 2016.

The review and access EJSCREEN, visit EPA’s website at http://www2.epa.gov/ejscreen.  You can also watch a webinar with an overview and demonstration of the tool on EPA’s YouTube channel by clicking here.