ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
EJ in New England
OVERVIEW
Environmental Justice
U.S. EPA | ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AT EPA NEW ENGLAND
EPA NEW ENGLAND'S ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE PROGRAM works to protect all people, regardless
of race, color, national origin or income, from environmental harms and
risks, and to involve all citizens in making decisions that affect their
environment. The program is designed to achieve environmental and public
health improvements for communities disproportionately burdened by the
impacts of pollution.
INTRO:
Every program in the EPA touches on issues related to environmental justice. EPA New England's EJ Program has been viewed by the agency as a national model
for how to integrate environmental justice into all programs. The EJ Program, led by the New England EJ Council which guides and directs the regional EJ policy, is
responsible for collaborating with state and municipal partners, and community organizations on environmental justice issues, providing EJ awareness training and
other learning opportunities, and developing tools and guidance to help EPA staff integrate environmental justice into their daily work.
EPA New England first responded to
community concerns about environ-
mental justice in 1993 by forming an
Environmental Equity Council and
issuing the first Environmental Equity
Policy in the nation. In October 2001, EPA New
England reaffirmed its commitment to this issue
with a revised EJ policy that directed the New
England office to integrate environmental justice
into every program. The policy can be found at:
www.epa.gov/region1/ej/ejpolicy.html.
Today, EPA New England's EJ Council, which meets
monthly, is charged with putting the policy into
practice so that all EPA employees are working
towards a cleaner and healthier environment for
all people. All regional offices are represented on
the EJ Council.
The EJ Council has made it a priority to stay in
communication with state partners on environ-
mental justice. The region works with the states to
identify commitments that further environmental
justice through state programs and collaborates
with them through quarterly EJ conference calls.
Regular contact with local organizations working for
a cleaner environment is crucial to educating EPA
staff about the environmental problems affecting
communities in the region. The EJ Program routine-
ly participates in meetings with community-based
organizations to discuss environmental and public
health issues important to the community and to
identify potential EPA mechanisms (e.g., grants and
technical assistance) to address these concerns.
Training ensures that all EPA staff members know
the laws and policies behind environmental justice
and are familiar with case studies in New England
that illustrate real world issues and accomplish-
ments. To supplement the training, the EJ Program
has developed internal guidance and tools, includ-
ing maps of potential EJ areas, to help staff inte-
grate EJ into their daily work.
To ensure continuous learning, EPA New England
hosts an environmental justice "Lunch and Learn"
series featuring talks by policy-makers, academic
professionals, researchers and others who have
made major contributions to the field of environ-
mental justice.
For additional information, please access the
key contacts below, or: Heather Ross, EPA New
England EJ Specialist, Office of Civil Rights & Urban
Affairs, (617) 918-1073, ross.heather@epa.gov or
Deborah Brown, EPA New England, Special Assis-
tant to Acting Director and EJ Showcase Community
Coordinator, Office of Civil Rights & Urban Affairs,
(617) 918-1706, brown.deborah@epa.gov.
KEY CONTACTS:
SHARON WELLS
EPA New England
Acting Director, Office of
Civil Rights & Urban Affairs
(617) 918-1007
wells.sharon@epa.gov
AMY BRAZ
EPA New England
EJ Coordinator, Office of
Civil Rights & Urban Affairs
(617) 918-1346
braz.amy@epa.gov
GENERAL INFO:
EPA NEW ENGLAND
5 Post Office Square
Suite 100
Boston, MA 02109-3912
(617) 918-1111
www.epa.gov/region 1/
TOLL-FREE
CUSTOMER SERVICE
1-888-EPA-7341
LEARN MORE AT:
www.epa.gov/
region 1/ej
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
on 100% recycled paper, with a minimum of 50% post-consumer waste, using vegetable-based inks
EPA-901-F-11-013
April 2011
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