Federal Interagency
Working Group on
Environmental Justice
Fiscal Year 2017 Progress Report
Working together
towards collaborative
& innovative solutions.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
EJ IWG Snapshot 3
Highlights 4
Revitalizing Rural Communities
Valle de Oro Wildlife Refuge
EJ IWG Framework for Collaboration 6
Goal 1: Enhance Communication and Coordination 7
Goal 2: Enhance Multi-Agency Support 10
Goal 3: Advance Interagency Strategies 11
Goal 4: Develop Partnerships with Academic Institutions 13
Conclusion Looking Forward 15
Stay Connected 15
Appendix A: EJ IWG In-Person Outreach 16
Appendix B: Access and Awareness Webinars 20
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FY 17 Federal Interagency Working Group
Progress Report
EJIWG Snapshot
The Federal Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice (EJ IWG), chaired by the Administrator of
EPA, comprises 16 federal agencies and the White House Council on Environmental Quality. The EJ IWG
assists federal agencies in "identifying and addressing, as appropriate, disproportionately high and adverse
human health or environmental effects of [their] programs, policies, and activities on minority populations and
low-income populations" (E.O. 12898, 1994). As the federal agencies implement E.O. 12898, the EJ IWG's
three guiding principles are to help the federal government remain:
Accessible easily reached by communities, advocates, and other stakeholders regarding environmental
justice concerns;
Aware knowledgeable of the environmental justice concerns and issues facing communities in order to
facilitate collaboration and coordination; and
Accountable capable of explaining the actions and decisions related to the implementation of E.O. 12898.
These principles recognize that knowledge empowers action and helps foster a common understanding of
environmental justice challenges.
The EJ IWG provides leadership, guidance, and support to
federal agencies by:
Coordinating a focused and collaborative effort across
the federal government to address the environmental,
social, economic, and public health burdens in minority,
low-income, indigenous and tribal communities;
Identifying and supporting policies that have measurable
impacts on environmental justice;
Focusing federal agency resources and technical
assistance to address the challenges facing overburdened
communities namely, disproportionately high and adverse health or environmental effects; and
The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) defines
Environmental Justice as:
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.
Developing partnerships with organizations outside of the federal government to facilitate support for, and
improvement in, overburdened communities.
The EJ IWG brings partners together to address complex, place-based environmental justice challenges and has
been a champion of effective interagency collaboration. EJ IWG committees focus on issues such as Title VI,
Rural Communities, Goods Movement, Native American/Indigenous Peoples, Regional Coordination, and the
National Environmental Protection Act among others. Here are two examples that highlight the EJ IWG's
placed-based project efforts:
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Revitalizing Rural Communities
Project: Brownfields to Healthfields (B2H) for Vision Care in Pikeville, Kentucky
Patient, family & community
centered health care
Expanding food security &
physical activity
Engaging impacted community
in redevelopment
Cleaning up
contaminated sites
Transforming blighted
property
Reducing exposure to
pollution
Developing marketable
skills
Increasing economic
potential through tax
base
Ensuring worker
productivity
Partners: EPA, U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA), U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, the Department of Treasury, U.S.
Economic Development Administration, State of
Kentucky Department of Environmental
Protection, Appalachia Regional Commission,
University of Pikesville, American Optometric
Association, and the Eula Hall Federally Qualified
Health Center.
Summary: The B2H approach helps local
organizations access state and federal resources to
transform brownfields and blighted property into
community spaces that improve public health,
economic potential and overall well-being.
With this approach, multi-stakeholder
collaborations are working together to improve the
environment, public health and economic vitality
in Pikeville, Kentucky. Formerly coal country and
largely rural, the community is in need of adaptive solutions to revitalize the health, environment and local
economy. Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) in eastern Kentucky did not offer vision care services
causing hundreds of thousands of residents in the Appalachia Region to go without vision care annually. In
response to this community's needs, the Rural Communities Committee of the EJIWG educated stakeholders
about the application of the B2H ( https://
www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/brownfields-
healthfields-florida-healthfields-successes ) approach
to help identify additional resources to enable expansion
of a FQHC to include vision care on a former
brownfields site.
As part of the B2H approach in Pikeville, Kentucky, a
wide array of stakeholders partnered together and
collaborated to bring this project to fruition. Each
partner played a significant role as noted in the EJ IWG
webinar entitled, Brownfields to ITealthfields:
Championing the Triple Bottom Line (Health,
Environment and Economy) for Community
Infrastructure
The Brownfields to Healthfields (B2H) Approach facilitates
the engagement of underserved and vulnerable populations
to determine new uses for brownfields properties that
improve access to healthcare, food security, recreation,
physical infrastructure and renewable energy. The B2H
approach is not driven by law or regulation - it originated
and continues to be driven by grassroots efforts. It is a
collaborative and inclusive process that brings together a
variety of stakeholders including: federal, state and local
governments; business and private sector; academia;
nonprofits and community-based organizations. For
additional information on how to implement the B2H
approach, please visit USDA's Rural Environmental Justice
Resource Collection: https://www.nal.usda.gov/ric/ru ral-
environmental-iustice-resource-collection
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(httns://www.youtube. com/watch?v=-5G5yaU-D6k). The EPA and the state of Kentucky funded contaminated
site assessment and cleanup of the brownfields site in order to expand the Eula Hall Health Center to include
vision care. For the first time, vision care was offered at the clinic in 2017 and preparation for onsite expansion
is ongoing. Alongside these B2H efforts to transform
Pikeville (UPike) also saw the need to help address
the lack of vision care. Academic year 2016-2017
saw the launch of the inaugural class of UPike's
College of Optometry, with financial support from
the U.S. Economic Development Administration,
Appalachian Regional Commission, as well as low-
interest direct loans from USD A Rural
Development. The Kentucky College of Optometry
fosters a new generation of eye care professionals to
serve Appalachia, and the vision clinic will serve as
a place for optometry students to gain experiential
learning opportunities. As a result of this synergy,
this vision clinic and optometry school are closely
linked. The benefits of this collaborati on include
multiple positive public health and economic
outcomes, such as:
Expected regional economic impact of $26.8 million over four years.
Up to 30% of graduates are expected to practice in medically underserved areas of Appalachia.
An estimated 18,000 patients will be served annually by operating rural clinics.
Hundreds of eye exams have already been performed by faculty.
Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge
Project: Develop the first Environmental & Economic Justice Strategic Plan for Valle de Oro National Wildlife
Refuge (The completed plan is available at
www.FriendsOfValleDeOro.org.)
Partners: Los Jardines Institute, Friends of Valle de Oro,
Navajo Tribal Nations, EJ IWG, U.S. Department of the
Interior (DOI)/ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
Summary: Valle de Oro (VDO) National Wildlife
Refuge, established in the Mountain View neighborhood
of Albuquerque, NM, is located in a low-income area
where industrial facilities are interspersed among homes,
an elementary school, and a community center.
a brownfields site into a vision clinic, the University of
"Vision and eye health care are tremendously important to the
vitality of a small community. Besides providing vision care for
a community, we bring professionals to the community. We
bring staff to the community. We bring business to a
community." - Willliam T. Reynolds, O.D., member of American
Optometry Association Board of Trustees
"With an inaugural class of 65 students for the 2016-2017
academic year, the newest college at UPike is one of 22
optometry schools in the nation, and the only one in several
surrounding states.... It will primarily serve Eastern Kentucky,
southern West Virginia and southwestern Virginia." (The Lane
Report, 2017) https://www.lanereport.com/73544/2017/02/
new-kentuckv-college-of-optometrv-in-pikeville-will-help-fill-
healthcare-gap-in-appalachia/
Visit to Valle de Oro by members of EJ IWG and Southwest Indian
Polytechnic Institute (SIPI)
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FY 17 Federal Interagency Working Group
Progress Report
Valle de Oro (VDO) was established to protect and preserve the land and associated water rights for wildlife
and for future generations. The 570-acre refuge, VDO National Wildlife Refuge is located on the former
Price's Dairy Farm site, and is the first new urban refuge created under the USFWS Urban Wildlife
Conservation Program. VDO serves as the model for the incorporation of the Urban Refuge Standards of
Excellence (https://www.fws.gov/urban/soe.php) and the future development of new urban refuges across the
nation.
VDO refuge has already accomplished much in a short time thanks to the passion and strong support of the
neighboring community, partner organizations, and agencies. In April 2017, the 2017-2020 Valle de Oro
National Wildlife Refuge Environmental & Economic Justice Strategic Plan (EEJSP) was released with the
help of funding from an EPA EJ Small Grant. This is the first strategic plan targeted specifically for a public
lands site created in collaboration between a government agency (DOI/USFWS) and the local community.
The VDO EEJSP and DOI's Environmental Justice Strategic Plan are working towards the same goals of
ensuring activities have a positive impact on the local community through meaningful inclusion of
communities of color, low-income and Native American populations.
The VDO EEJSP Plan Summary was released to the EJ IWG; federal, state, local, and city governments; and
community organizations for distribution. At the June 2017 EJ IWG meeting, the Mountain View Community
was featured during a "Community Spotlight" presentation. In September 2017, a delegation of the EJ IWG
visited the Refuge and Los Jardines Institute to learn more about the programs and activities offered. Through
the College/Underserved Community Partnership Program (CUPP), the EJ IWG has partnered with
Southwest Indian Polytechnic Institute to create a documentary that will tell the story of how VDO NWR was
established. In 2018, the Refuge and its partners will develop an implementation report to document the
successes and any challenges. This process has the potential to serve as a national model on how to work
collaboratively with an invested community working to protect public lands and to build opportunities for the
local community.
EJ IWG Framework for Collaboration
The EJ IWG developed its FY 16-18 Framework for Collaboration ("Framework") to foster effective
interagency collaboration that brings stakeholders together to address multifaceted, place-based
environmental justice issues. The Framework, published in March 2016, outlines four major goals of the
working group for FY 16-18 which will advance greater federal agency collaboration. The Framework also
includes information on the formation and governance structure of the EJ IWG.
The Framework builds on decades of environmental justice work and community engagement to strategically
enhance the collective efforts of the federal agencies. Successful community engagement meets communities
"where they are" by employing approaches that provide cross-agency tools and resources which enable the
public to address environmental injustice in their local communities. In addition to providing tools and
resources, the Framework includes activities that work to increase opportunities for public input and
engagement with the EJ IWG. The following is a summary of accomplishments achieved under the
Framework's four key goals:
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FY 17 Federal Interagency Working Group
Progress Report
Goal 1: Enhance Communication and Coordination
Enhance communication and coordination to improve health,
quality-of-life, and economic opportunities in overburdened
communities.
Increasing Outreach
The EJIWG is committed to being Accessible, Aware and Accountable to
its stakeholders through digital and in-person outreach. In the digital space,
the EJ IWG developed online tools, resources and live webinars to help the
public address environmental justice concerns in their local communities.
Members of the EJ IWG also carried out in-person outreach in a variety of
ways including presentations at conferences and workshops, meetings with
partners, and environmental justice training with stakeholders. A complete
list of in-person outreach activities carried out in FY17 can be found in
Appendix A.
Access and Awareness Webinar Series
Webinar Feedback
By hearing about these
projects and their
challenges and
approaches, we gain
better insight into the
challenges of our own
project... Your office's
use of the webinar
approach is efficient,
inexpensive and
convenient... Thank you
for making these
webinars possible.
-Attendee of "Whole
Community Disaster
Planning" Webinar
In FY17, EPA and the U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development (HUD) continued the
Access and Awareness Webinar Series by
producing seven public webinars that covered a
range of environmental justice topics. The Access
and Awareness Webinars brought together partners
from across the United States helping to deepen
connections and strengthen relationships through
meaningful discussions. The discussions showcased
the collaborative work of 20 partner organizations
from a wide array of sectors and perspectives. More
than 3,000 people registered for Access and
Awareness webinars in FY 17, and 1,650
representing organizations from federal, state, and
local governments; non-profits; community groups and private businesses attended
the live broadcasts, as well as a few individuals tuning in from abroad.
Webinar recordings are housed on the EJ IWG webpage (https://www.epa.gov/
environmentaliustice/federal-interagencv-working-group-environmental-iustice-ei-iwg) so that
stakeholders can view them at any time and share with others.
The EJ IWG helps
ensure the federal
government is:
Accessible
Easily reached by communities,
advocates, and other
stakeholders regarding
environmental justice
concerns
Knowledgeable of the
environmental justice concerns
and issues facing communities
in
order to facilitate collaboration
and coordination
Capable of explaining the
actions and decisions related
to the implementation of
Executive Order 12898
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The webinars highlight effective strategies for place-based interagency collaboration and interagency
strategies in partnership with various federal agencies including the Department of Justice, Transportation,
Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture, Interior and Health and Human Services, Homeland Security
and the General Services Administration. Some of the webinars covered the following topics:
"Brownfields to Healthfields: Championing the Triple Bottom Line (Health, Environment and Economy)
for Community Infrastructure," focused on rural communities and showcased a success story in Central
Appalachia that leveraged resources from multiple federal and state partners to establish a vision care
center on a former brownfields site.
"Working Together: Lessons Learned from Collaboration for Community Revitalization" featured
representatives from the city of Birmingham, Alabama and the Community Coalition of North
Birmingham discussing how interagency efforts supported revitalization with the establishment of the
North Birmingham Community Coalition revitalization plan, a brownfields task force, a Brownfields
community training, and an EPA Brownfields assessment grant.
"Discrimination Protections and
Promising Practices in Federally
Assisted Emergency Management"
highlighted interagency activities at
the federal level. The webinar
discussed guidance provided to states
and local governments on civil rights
protections in post-disaster emergency
management.
Whole Community Disaster
Planning: Inclusive Approaches
to Recovery and Preparedness
Date: 02/09/2011
This webinar highlights efforts that support and
strengthen community leaders, networks, and
assets that can be leveraged to improve
resiliency, public health, and community access
to information and resources.
"Whole Community Disaster Planning:
Inclusive Approaches to Recovery and
Preparedness" demonstrated how the federal government is working collaboratively to strengthen
individual and community resilience for disaster preparedness, response and recovery through inclusive
approaches to community engagement.
These monthly events created the space for not only the federal government but also state, local and non-
governmental partners to exchange knowledge and best practices, share information on federal resources and
technical assistance, and have constructive dialogues with local practitioners about strategies to work together
and meet the needs of overburdened communities. A complete list of webinars produced in FY 17 can be
found in Appendix B
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FY 17 Federal Interagency Working Group
Progress Report
New Online Resources
Rural Environmental Justice Online Resources
The Rural Communities Committee published the Rural Environmental Justice Resource Collection, which
comprises articles, e-journals, trade publications and reports, and newspapers from throughout the United
States via DigiTop, USDA's Digital Library. Available to environmental justice communities, stakeholders,
federal employees, and other members of the public, the site has an Environmental Justice Alert service to
notify participants of new information as it becomes available. In addition, USDA hosted a webinar to
provide guidance on how to access and use the online resources. The EJ Resource Collection can be found
here: https://www.nal.usda.gov/ric/rural-environmental-iustice-resource-collection.
Goods Movement Federal Resources Compendium
The Goods Movement Committee published a Goods Movement Federal Resource Compendium, which was
developed to provide clarity on the many federal agencies that play a role in the movement of goods and
services throughout the country and what resources and support the various agencies offer to the public. This
comprehensive document organizes publicly available information and tools relevant to communities that are
impacted by goods movement, including agency strategies, guidance documents, reports, funding
mechanisms, data and assessment tools. The compendium is available on the EJ IWG webpage's Federal
Resources tab and can also be found here: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-09/documents/
iwg goods movement federal resources compendium.pdf.
The online resources outlined above and the Access and Awareness Webinar Series recordings can be found
on the EJ IWG's webpage: https://www.epa.gov/environmentaliustice/federal-interagencv-working-
group-environmental-iustice-ei-iwg.
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FY 17 Federal Interagency Working Group
Progress Report
Goal 2: Enhance Multi-Agency Support
Enhance multi-agency support of holistic community-based
solutions to provide assistance as needed to address
environmental justice issues.
In FY17, the EJIWG promoted awareness and increased collaboration
to leverage resources for capacity building and economic investments in
minority, low-income, indigenous and tribal communities.
Building Capacity in Communities Impacted by Goods
Movement
Near Port Community Capacity Building Tools
Under EPA's Near-Port Community Capacity Building Pilot Projects,
five federal partners (EPA, HUD, Department of Homeland Security, General Services Administration,
Department of Transportation) are working collaboratively to connect near-port communities with appropriate
federal, state and local programs, tools and staff to help facilitate dialogue related to impacts from commercial
freight transportation. EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality is currently conducting the Capacity
Building Pilot Projects in New Orleans, Louisiana; Savannah, Georgia; and Seattle, Washington. The EJ IWG
Goods Movement Committee has identified federal regional points of contact and potentially relevant federal
projects occurring in these pilot locations and will continue to provide assistance, as appropriate. More
information on the Pilot Projects can be found here: https://www.epa.gov/ports-initiative/pilot-proiects-port
-and-near-port-communitv-collaboration.
Building Capacity by Strengthening Regional Interagency Community Collaboration
Lessons Learned From Regional Interagency Collaboration
Recognizing that knowledge empowers action, the EJ IWG's Regional Engagement Committee has made it a
priority to gather information in order to develop best practices for place-based interagency collaboration. The
committee is looking for innovative ways to share best practices through tools and resources for those engaged
in multi-stakeholder collaborations across the country. This effort included a compilation of lessons learned
from collaboration efforts from around the country, showcasing different approaches for sustaining long-term,
place-based interagency collaboration to address environmental justice needs in communities. Strategies
include how communities can drive collaborative problem-solving (bottom-up approach), as well as how
federal staff working in communities can initiate place-based collaborations (top-down approach). All of these
efforts reinforce the EJ IWG's collaborative framework which is based on the premise that working together
with federal, state and local partners in a more concerted and coordinated way will result in tangible benefits
for overburdened communities.
Webinars Highlighting Place-Based
Interagency Collaboration
"Working Together: Lessons Learned
from Collaboration for Community
RevitaIization" featured a collaborative
project to revitalize Birmingham,
Alabama
"Community Collaboration to Address
Community-Based Environmental Justice
Problems in Portland, Oregon" featured
a set of collaborative projects to address
the needs of residents in Portland,
Oregon
Webinar recordings can be found here:
https://www.epa.gov/environmentaliustice/
federal-interagencv-working-group-
environmental-iustice-ei-iwg
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Goal 3: Advance Interagency Strategies
Advance interagency strategies to identify and address environmental justice concerns in
agency programs, policies and activities.
In FY17, the EJ IWG identified opportunities to highlight interagency community solutions to help advance
implementation of federal environmental justice policies and guidance. Highlights include:
Strategy and Policy Integration
Facilitating Collaboration on Concerns of Native American/Indigenous Peoples
In the beginning of FY17, the U.S. Department of Interior, the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. De-
partment of the Army undertook a series of government-to-government consultations in an effort to improve
federal decision-making on infrastructure development and related projects. One result of this consultation
process was a report entitled "Improving Tribal Consultation and Tribal Involvement in Federal Infrastruc-
ture DecisionsIn response to recommendations from this consultation process and subsequent report, the
Native American/Indigenous Peoples (NA/IP) Committee of the EJ IWG has reviewed existing guidance and
is working to identify best practices for meaningful engagement of federally recognized tribes and indigenous
peoples in infrastructure development decisions.
The NA/IP Committee also held interagency meetings on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples (UNDRIP) to discuss the status of federal efforts to support the UNDRIP. The United States stated
support for the UNDRIP in 2010. While not legally binding or a statement of current international lawthe
UNDRIP does express the aspirations of indigenous peoples around the world and the aspirations of those
countries, such as the United States, seeking to improve their relations with indigenous peoples.
Enhancing Consideration of Environmental Justice in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
The NEPA Committee prepared a training tool (National
INCORPORATING EJ INTO the NEPA Process Training Product) entitied ''Incorporating EJ into the
into the 1
meet the
tional Tr
flittps://ww'
documents/
Sponsored by the T
Interagency Working
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An Integrative Approach
NEPA Process, An Integrative Approach ". The training
covers best practices for integrating environmental justice
into the NEPA process and is designed to be adaptive to
meet the training needs of individual agencies. The Na-
tional Training Product complements the Promising
Practices for EJ Methodologies in NEPA Reviews
?1ittps://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-08/
documents/
nepa promising practices document 2016.pdf).
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The committee has also supported efforts to finalize
and distribute a Community Guide to the Promising
Practices for Environmental Justice in Assessing
Environmental Impacts. This guide is intended to
assist communities in informing agencies of their
concerns regarding proposed activities and
decisions by federal government agencies that may
result in impacts to minority and low-income
populations as well as to tribal and indigenous
communities.
The NEPA Committee has conducted several departmental briefings, trainings, webinars, and workshops at
various federal agencies and conferences in Washington, DC and Phoenix, AZ, including: U.S. Department of
Energy, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) Community of Practice Innovation Exchange and the National Environmental Justice
Conference. As a result, the NEPA Committee has been able to promote the use of the Promising Practices
Report and the consistent consideration of EJ in the NEPA review process to several hundred NEPA
practitioners (federal and contractor) and the public. The NEPA Committee is supporting the development of
useful performance measures for the processes
recommended in the Promising Practices Report.
The NEPA Committee prepared a draft outline and
is setting up a system for collecting and evaluating
data to improve the resources, tools and documents
provided by the EJ IWG.
Denise Freeman (left) co-chair NEPA Committee, DOE, (center) Suzi Ruhl,
Immediate past co-chair, NEPA Committee, and Juliet Bochicchio, NEPA
Committee member, conducted a DOE Pilot EJ & NEPA Training & Workshop: A
Focus on the Promising Practices for EJ Methodologies in NEPA Reviews at the
Western Area Power Administration in Phoenix, Arizona for DOE federal, DOE
contractor, and BLM federal staff.
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Goal 4: Develop Partnerships with Academic Institutions
Develop partnerships with academic institutions to assist in providing long-term technical
assistance to overburdened communities
Expand the College/Underserved Community Partnership Program (CUPP)
The CUPP program was initiated in 2011 to connect
underserved communities with the vast college resources
available in their areas and to leverage federal resources
in assisting those communities. CUPP helps establish
partnerships with colleges and universities to develop
projects that address environmental justice, environmental
quality, economic opportunities, and public health in local
underserved and overburdened communities. In FY17 the
program grew to 61 schools.
One example of FY17 CUPP efforts involved, the
National Park Service, the Army Corps of Engineers
(USACE), Georgia Institute of Technology and the city of
Selma, Alabama. Together these stakeholders partnered
with CUPP to provide opportunities for students to
contribute to historic preservation efforts. The students
conducted a feasibility study of the Alabama River which provided a comprehensive analysis of erosion, its
contribution factors, current and future impacts, and recommendations to address erosion.
The study looked at options to address erosion of the Alabama River along the shore line of the city of Selma,
Alabama, and the potential impact along the Historic Edmund Pettus Bridge. The study was valued at
approximately $120,000 and contributed to Selma's 20% cost-share responsibility to the Alabama River
preservation project that is being implemented in partnership with USACE. Preserving the shoreline and
ensuring the safety of the bridge maintains the historical significance of the bridge and contributes to the
economic impact on over 18,000 local citizens, and over 20,000 annual tourists to the city.
Expand Educate, Motivate, and Innovate (EMI) Initiative
In 2015, the White House launched the EJ IWG's Educate, Motivate, and Innovate Climate Justice Initiative.
The initiative focuses on the next generation of climate justice leaders and expands collaboration with
minority-serving institutions. The EMI Initiative is open to undergraduate and graduate students attending
Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions,
and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions, among others.
Students from Georgia Tech looking at the geology of the
Alabama River
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FY 17 Federal Interagency Working Group
Progress Report
The EMI initiative is guided by the following principles:
Educate: Provide a two-way learning experience, access to information, platform to expand and share
knowledge and ideas, and bridge the communication and capacity building gap.
Motivate: Ignite interest, nurture growth and commitment to addressing the complex issues around cli-
mate change and environmental justice in vulnerable communities.
Innovate: Embrace the opportunity for creative thought and action.
In 2017, EMI held workshops during the National Environmental Justice Conference and Training Program,
the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Student Conference and the American Indian Higher Educa-
tion Student Conference. Student presentations included:
Event
Presentation Topics
March 10, 2017
EMI Workshop & EJSCREEN Training
National Environmental Justice Con-
ference and Training Program (NEJC)
in Washington, DC
"Climate Change: Effect on the Location of Food Market, Community Gardens
and Food Deserts in Virginia" by Latia Jackson, Virginia State University
"Community Food Security in Underused Spaces in Urban Public Housing in
Puerto Rico" by Carol Ramos Gerena, University of Puerto Rico
"Photovoice Project: Climate Change Effects on Future Water Supply and Co-
lonias Without Water" by Rebeka Isaac, University of Texas at El Paso
March 17, 2017
EMI Workshop & EJSCREEN Training
Historically Black Colleges and Uni-
versities Student's Conference
(HBCU) in New Orleans, LA
"Challenges and Opportunities for Climate Change in Times of Different
Perspectives" by Kassandra Rice, Humboldt State University
"Potential Climate Change Impacts on Hilo Bay, Hawaii: Studies on An-
thropogenic Impact on Water Quality in Hilo Bay" by Latia Jackson, Virgin-
ia State University
More information can be found here: https://www.epa.gov/environmentaliustice/federal-interagencv-
working-group-environmental-iustice-ei-iwg.
Additional information is also available in this video highlighting EMI: https://www.voutube.com/watch?
v=liHpE SlFQqE
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FY 17 Federal Interagency Working Group
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Conclusion Looking Forward
During FY18, the EJ IWG will continue its commitment to help overburdened communities that are addressing
critical environmental challenges by providing:
Access to environmental decision makers in the federal government,
More awareness of available training and resources, and
More accountability about the implementation of E.O. 12898.
Moving forward, the EJ IWG will strengthen and increase its efforts in the following areas:
Communication and coordination through webinars, social media platforms and targeted community
outreach;
Multi-agency support to build capacity and leverage resources in rural and near port communities;
Interagency strategies to develop community-based solutions to advance environmental justice; and
Building partnerships and sharing best practices/lessons learned to assist in providing long-term technical
assistance to overburdened communities.
The examples in this report illustrate some of the ways in which the EJ IWG will continue to support
communities. Through the four Framework goals, the EJ IWG will continue to collaborate to demonstrate
tangible results in minority, low-income, tribal and indigenous communities.
Find more resources and information on the EJ IWG Website: https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/
program offices/economic resilience/Environmental Justice Strategy.
To receive updates on EJ tools and resources from across the federal government, sign up for EPA's EJ
Listserv: https://lists.epa.gov/read/all forums/subscribe?name=epa-ei.
Stay Connected
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FY 17 Federal Interagency Working Group
Progress Report
Appendix A: FY 17 EJIWG In-Person Outreach
Event
Topics
Location
Presentations
October 11, 2016
Environmental Justice Panel
at NEPA Compliance
Officer Meeting,
Department of Energy
This panel was part of the October 2016 NEPA
Compliance Officer's Meeting that was conducted for
DOE NEPA Headquarters and field staff. This panel
provided an overview of DOE's EJ program, a deeper
dive into the Promising Practices Report, and DOE's
implementation of the Promising Practices Report, which
included legal, policy and guidance perspectives.
Washington, DC
March 19-21, 2017
American Indian Higher
Education Consortium
Students Conference
(USD A)
Program Manager for the Educate, Motivate, Innovate
Initiative presented and staffed a table at the conference to
raise awareness and increase participation of Native
American students in the EMI Initiative which provides
opportunities for students to share their enviromnental
research, share knowledge and network with experts in the
field of enviromnental justice.
Rapid City, South Dakota
August 7-8, 2017
Florida Brownfields
Association Enviromnental
Justice Workshop (EPA)
An EPA representative spoke about EJ IWG tools and
resources available to the public. The workshop brought
together stakeholders including federal, state and local
government, non-profit, community leaders and academia
from all over Florida to discuss resources, innovative
programs, strategies and opportunities for new
connections in support of communities dealing with
environmental justice concerns throughout the state.
Cocoa, Florida
Meetings
October 12, 2016, and
November 19, 2016
EJ IWG Native American /
Indigenous Peoples
Committee,
UN DRIP Subcommittee
Meetings (at least 10 federal
agencies represented)
Training on Federal Efforts to Support the United Nations
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was
conducted for federal agencies.
Washington, DC
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FY 17 Federal Interagency Working Group
Progress Report
Event
Topics
Location
August 7-10, 2017
Community Leaders
Meeting, Upper Fruitland
Chapter House of the
Northern Navajo (USDA,
DOI Fish and Wildlife
Service, DOE, EPA, U.S.
Department of Health and
Human Services, Centers
for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC))
A Community Leaders Meeting brought together leaders
from the USD A, EPA, DOE, USFWS, USDOI, and the
CDC. After the Chapter meeting, the agencies met with
presidents of four tribal colleges: San Juan College,
Navajo Technical University, and Southwestern Indian
Polytechnic Institute in New Mexico; and Dine College in
Arizona. Each meeting consisted of a discussion regarding
opportunities to participate in the CUPP program, and
how the colleges might support the Chapters. The last day
of the meeting included a visit to the Valle De Oro
National Wildlife Refuge, a community-driven
conservation project in the surrounding communities of
Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Shiprock, New Mexico
October 12-13, 2016
and April 25-27, 2017
Public Comment Sessions at
EPA's National
Enviromnental Justice
Advisory Council (NEJAC)
Meeting
EJIWG members attended the NEJAC meetings and
public comment sessions to hear stakeholder feedback.
The NEJAC, a federal advisory committee to EPA,
provides advice and recommendations about broad, cross-
cutting issues related to enviromnental justice, from all
stakeholders involved in the enviromnental justice
dialogue. In addition, the NEJAC provides a valuable
forum for discussions about integrating enviromnental
justice with other EPA priorities and initiatives. It also
provides independent advice and recommendations to the
EPA Administrator. The Council's efforts include the
evaluation of a broad range of strategic, scientific,
technological, regulatory, community engagement, and
economic issues related to enviromnental justice.
Arlington, Virginia and
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Trainings
November 1, 2016
Enviromnental Justice and
NEPA Training at
Department of Energy
This training was conducted for DOE NEPA HQ staff,
field and contractors to promote the use of the Promises
Practices Report in their respective roles as either preparer
or reviewer of DOE NEPA documents. Topics covered
included: Basics of the Promising Practices Report,
Implementation, and Special Topics, Department of
Justice Views: Emerging Issues-NEPA & Environmental
Justice, and DOE Case Studies, NEPA/EJ Resources for
Implementation
Washington, DC
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FY 17 Federal Interagency Working Group
Progress Report
Event
Topics
Location
December 19, 2016
EJIWG Native American /
Indigenous Peoples Committee,
UN DRIP Subcommittee
Training (12 federal agencies
represented)
Training on Federal Efforts to Support the United Nations
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was conducted for
federal agencies.
Washington, DC
January 10, 2017
DOE Pilot Enviromnental Justice
& NEPA Training and
Workshop: A Focus on
Promising Practices for EJ
Methodologies in NEPA
Reviews, Western Area Power
Administration
The session shared learning experience with DOEAVestern Area
Power Administration NEPA staff, contractors, and Bureau of Land
Management to help increase the integration of EJ in the NEPA
process by sharing a new tool, the Promising Practices Report, and
included breakout sessions with a case study exercise.
Phoenix, AZ
February 1, 2017
Enviromnental Justice Training-
Addressing Disproportionate
Impacts to Communities, Animal
and Plant Health Inspection
Service
USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
students used a cooperative learning model to share knowledge of
the Promising Practices Report subject areas, explore how they are
exemplified in the National Training Product examples, and discuss
current APHIS enviromnental justice projects.
Riverdale, MD
March 8-10, 2017
2017 National Enviromnental
Justice Conference and Training
Program
(DOJ, USD A, DOT, EPA, DOE)
Three of the EJ IWG's committees presented at NEJC sessions:
Training on "Understanding Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of
1964" - This session, facilitated by staff from the EJ IWG
Title VI Committee, including the Federal Coordination &
Compliance Section of the Civil Rights Division at DOJ,
provided participants with (1) an overview of Title VI; (2) its
application to EJ scenarios; and (3) information on how to file
a complaint with a Federal agency and how such complaints
are processed. In addition to the training, the session included
a panel discussion with staff from USD A, Department of
Transportation, and EPA regarding their Title VI compliance
activities.
Training on "NEPA & EJ: Leveraging Federal Resources to
Advance Community Enviromnental, Economic and Health
Vitality. A Focus on Promising Practices for EJ
Methodologies in NEPA Reviews" - Presenters included
members of the EJ IWG's NEPA Committee from EPA, DOE,
and DOJ
Washington, DC
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FY 17 Federal Interagency Working Group
Progress Report
Event
Topics
Location
The focus of the training/workshop was to increase awareness
of, "Promising Practices for EJ Methodologies in NEPA
Reviews." The workshop was designed to foster collaboration
among the federal family and the public. The intended
audience was NEPA practitioners (federal and contractor),
along with the general public, and others parties who may be
interested in how enviromnental justice fits into NEPA
compliance.
A panel discussion on "Enviromnental Justice, the Federal
Family, and Indigenous Communities - Federal Perspectives"
Moderated by DOJ, panelists from USD A/Forest Service and
EPA covered topics such as: Visualizing Tribal EJ - The FS
Tribal Connections Lands Viewer; Providing EJ for Tribes and
Indigenous Peoples - EPA's Approach and any needs for
additional tools or techniques to respond to EJ concerns in
Indian Country.
July 11,2017
OMB Community of
Practice Innovation
Exchange (DOJ, DOE,
EPA)
"Promising Practices for EJ Methodologies in NEPA Reviews"
session highlighted collaborative efforts to promote the consistent,
effective and efficient consideration of EJ in the NEPA review
process. The Innovation Exchange is a forum that provides federal
staff with the opportunity to engage across geographies, agencies,
and missions to share success stories and refine new approaches to
help communities achieve robust outcomes.
Washington DC
July 12, 2017
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission (DOJ, DOE,
EPA and BLM)
Enviromnental Justice and FERC Projects: Using EJ IWG's
Promising Practices & Other EJ Tools in NEPA Documents - the
speakers provided an overview of the Promising Practices Report
for FERC project and program managers. The following hot topics
were covered: meaningful engagement with affected communities;
identifying low-income and/or minority communities; affected
enviromnent; and impacts perE.O. 12898. In addition, the
following EJ tools were discussed: EPA's EJSCREEN and BLM's
Economic Profile System.
Washington, DC
191 Page
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FY 17 Federal Interagency Working Group
Progress Report
Appendix B: FY 17 Access and Awareness Webinars
Date
Webinar Title
Description
Partners
Attendees
10/13/16
From Home to School and
Back Again: Creating Safe
and Healthy Environments
for Children
Highlighting initiatives from across the
federal government that work to provide
technical assistance and resources to
improve children's environmental health
in vulnerable communities.
EPA, HHS, DOT
175
11/10/2016
Working Together: Lessons
Learned from
Collaboration for
Community Revitalization
Discussion of interagency collaboration
with stakeholders from community-based
organizations, federal, state and local
government to carry out brownfields
assessment and cleanup in North
Birmingham, AL
EPA, City of
Birmingham, AL
and Community
Coalition of
North
Birmingham
175
12/8/2016
Brownfields to
Healthfields: Championing
the Triple Bottom Line
(Health, Environment and
Economy) for Community
Infrastructure
Sharing an inventive strategy that
advances health, economic and
environmental revitalization in
overburdened and underserved
communities, with a special focus on rural
communities.
EPA, US DA, HHS,
GSA, University
of Pikeville;
Pikeville, KY
175
1/12/2017
Discrimination Protections
and Promising Practices in
Federally Assisted
Emergency Management
Discussion of federal agency resources to
prevent discrimination in federally
assisted emergency management
activities.
DOJ, DOT, DHS,
and the Fair
Share Housing
Center
200
2/9/2017
Whole Community Disaster
Planning: Inclusive
Approaches to Recovery
and Preparedness
Discussion on how the federal
government is working to heighten
individual and community resilience
through inclusive public engagement to
improve disaster planning, response and
recovery.
HUD, FEMA, City
of Boston, King
County,
Washington
475
3/22/2017
Women's History Month:
Women's Role in the Fight
for Environmental Justice
Focus on the leadership role women have
played in the EJ movement along with
strategies for how EJ practitioners can
better target low-income women in their
work.
EPA, Agnes Scott
College, Green
2.0, Grid
Alternatives
242
4/13/2017
Partnerships in Progress:
Supporting Underserved
Communities in Portland,
Oregon
Representatives from the Portland
Community Steering Committee discuss
initiatives to leverage resources for green
infrastructure, equitable development,
youth employment and capacity building
with the local community.
EPA, DOI,
Willamette
Partnership,
Neighbors for
Clean Air, The
Blueprint
Foundation
208
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AEPA
EPA-300B16002
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