United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Enforcement
and Compliance
Assurance (2201 A)
EPA/300-F-03-004
May 2003
Office of Environmental Justice (OE J)
vvEPA Environmental Justice
Fact Sheet
Interagency Working Group
ENVIRONMiNTAL JUSTICE
BACKGROUND
Executive Order 12898,
entitled "Federal Actions to
Address Environmental
Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income
Populations," issued February 11, 1994, focuses
federal attention on the environmental and human
health conditions of minority populations, low-
income populations, and tribal populations with the
goal of achieving environmental protection for all
communities.
INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP
One provision of Executive Order 12898
established an Interagency Working Group (IWG)
on Environmental Justice chaired by the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and
comprised of eleven departments/agencies and
several White House offices (www.epa.gov/compli
ance/environmentaljustice/interagency/index.html).
These include the EPA, the Departments of Justice,
Defense, Energy, Labor, Interior, Transportation,
Agriculture, Housing and Urban Development,
Commerce, and Health and Human Services, the
President's Council on Environmental Quality, the
Office of Management and Budget, the Office of
Science and Technology Policy, the Domestic
Policy Council, and the Council of Economic
Advisors. In addition, the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, the Federal Emergency
Management Administration, and the Advisory
Council on Historic Preservation have participated
in the IWG.
IWG - TASK FORCES
The IWG currently has three task forces to address
issues requiring coordination to develop effective
federal strategies. The task forces are: 1) Health
Disparities, 2) Native American, and
3) Demonstration/Revitalization Projects. The
creation and dissolution of task forces occurs on an
as needed basis. For instance, in the mid- 1990's
the IWG consisted of 8 task forces, which dissolved
after the tasks were completed. Each task force is
coordinated by two agencies with representation
from each of the participating agencies.
INTERAGENCY PROJECTS
The Executive Order also directs the IWG to
develop interagency model demonstration projects,
thereby sharing resources and technical expertise to
address possible disproportionately high and
adverse effects on human health or the
environment. In 2000, the IWG selected 15
demonstration projects to promote and determine
ways for agencies to collaborate and coordinate
effectively to address environmental justice issues.
Two IWG Status Reports which document the
development of an environmental justice
collaborative model are: EnvironmentctlJustice
Collaborative Model: A Framework to Ensure
Local Problem-Solving (EPA 300-R-02-001,
February 2002, www.epa.gov/
compliance/environmentaljustice) and Towards an
EnvironmentalJustice Collaborative Model: An
Evaluation of the Use of Partnerships to Address
EnvironmentalJustice Issues in Communities
(EPA/100-R-03-001 and EPA/100-R-03-002,
January 2003, www.epa.gov/evaluate).
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In 2003, the IWG selected 15 more projects to serve
as revitalization projects to showcase collaborative
interagency and multi-stakeholder partnerships in
the area of environmental justice and community
revitalization. These partnerships involve two or
more federal agencies working in cooperation with
state and local governments, tribal governments,
community-based organizations, academia, business
and industry, and/or non-governmental
organizations. The intent of the projects is to
develop collaborative models to ensure problem-
solving and sustainable solutions to a range of
environmental, public, health, social and economic
issues associated with environmental justice.
PUBLIC MEETINGS
The Executive Order provided for the IWG to hold
public meetings to receive comments, questions,
and recommendations regarding environmental
justice issues.
In addition, a number of agencies, such as DOT,
have held public meetings on environmental justice
and have included participation of other agencies.
Several EPA lead programs (e.g., Brownfields,
Relocation Policy, National Environmental Justice
Advisory Council, Regional Environmental Justice
Listening Sessions, etc.) have held numerous
public meetings, each having had significant
participation from other Federal agencies.
For Additional Information, please contact:
Charles Lee, Chair
Federal Interagency Working Group
on Environmental Justice
US EPA, Office of Environmental Justice
(202) 564-2515,
or
Daniel Gogal, National Program Manager
Federal Interagency Working Group
on Environmental Justice
US EPA, Office of Environmental Justice
(202) 564-2576,
TASK FORCE STATUS AND PRODUCTS
Task Force
Health Disparities
Revitalization/Interagency
Projects
Native American
Products
Planning a federal meeting in May 2003 for federal agencies to
coordinate activities
2003 - second round of projects selected
2000 - first round of projects selected
Federal Tribal Sacred Lands Protection Meeting - August 2002
Response to Roundtable Recommendations
Roundtable Report - January 2001
Status
Ongoing
Ongoing
Ongoing
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