vvEPA
United States Enforcement and September 2006
Environmental Protection Compliance
Agency (2201A)
Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ)
Environmental Justice Fact Sheet
National Environmental Justice
Advisory Council
BACKGROUND
EPA's commitment to environmental justice began in 1992, as a
response to public concerns, when the Agency created an Office of
Environmental Justice and implemented a new organizational
infrastructure to integrate environmental justice considerations into
EPA's policies, programs, and activities. In 1993, the Agency
established the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council
(NEJAC) in order to obtain independent advice and
recommendations from all stakeholders involved in the
environmental justice dialogue.
Obtaining Stakeholder Advice
The NEJAC was established by charter pursuant to the Federal
EPA's Commitment to Environmental Justice
On November 4, 2005, Administrator Stephen L. Johnson
issued a memorandum reaffirming EPA's commitment to
environmental justice for ail people, regardless of race, color, j:
national origin, or income This means not only protecting ['
human health and the environment for everyone, but also j;
ensuring that all people are treated fairly and are given the h
opportunity to participate meaningfully in the development, j-
implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, b
regulations, and policies. f
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in recognizing that minority and/or low-income communities s-
frequently may be exposed disproportionately to j
environmental harms and risks, EPA works to protect these j
and other burdened communities from adverse human health j;
and environmental effects of its programs, consistent with j!
existing environmental and civil rights laws, and their j
implementing regulations, as well as Executive Order 12898 i:
("Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice In
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Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations," l-eb. 11, r
1994).' [
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The memorandum also identifies eight (8) national i,
environmental justice priorities and directs the integration of !'
environmental justice into EPA's planning and budgeting j
processes, including the Agency's Strategic Plan for Fiscal j.
Years 2006-2011. These national priorities Include: reducing {;
asthma attacks; reducing exposure to air toxics; Increasing j
compliance of regulations; reducing Incidence of elevated i
blood lead levels; ensuring that fish and shellfish are safe to I'
eat; ensuring that water is safe to drink; and using i;
collaborative problem-solving to address environmental j;
and/or public health concerns. j
EPA will continue to fully Implement Its programs, policies,
and activities to ensure that they do not adversely affect j'
populations with critical environmental and public health |:
Issues, Including minority and low-income communities. j
Advisory Committee Act (FACA) on September 30, 1993. The
NEJAC consists of members from community-based groups;
business and industry; academic and educational institutions; state
and local governments; tribal governments and indigenous
organizations; and non-governmental and environmental groups.
The Council meets once each year and provides a forum focusing
on human health and environmental conditions in all communities,
including minority populations and low-income populations.
The issues around environmental justice are often complex and
involve strongly divergent viewpoints. The NEJAC provides an
environment for all parties to express their concerns and to
formulate independent, cogent, and timely advice and
recommendations to EPA on major public policy issues. In this
way, the NEJAC assists in integrating environmental justice into
EPA's policies, programs, and activities.
On August 8, 2006, EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson
approved the renewal of the charter for the NEJAC, which provides
the Administrator with advice and recommendations with respect to
integrating environmental justice considerations into EPA's
programs, policies, and day-to-day activities.
NEJAC ACCOMPLISHMENTS
As a committee consisting of representatives of broad spectrum of
stakeholders, the NEJAC has developed consensus proposals to the
Agency for creative and collaborative strategies to better address
the human health and environmental protection needs of
disadvantaged and underserved communities and to ensure that the
goal of environmental justice is being integrated in Agency policies,
programs, and priorities.
From 1993 to 1996, the NEJAC produced a number of products and
provided consensus advice to help the Agency focus its
environmental justice agenda. For example, the initial draft of
EPA's Environmental Justice Strategy required by Executive Order
12898 was reviewed and substantive recommendations made; the
Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response's Facility Siting
Criteria document was reviewed; the Model Plan for Public
Participation was published and distributed widely; and a public
forum protocol was developed and subsequently used as the model
for the first Interagency Public Meeting on Environmental Justice
held January 19 and 20, 1995, in Atlanta, Georgia. During the
summer of 1995, public dialogues were conducted in five major
cities concerning possible solutions to urban crises resulting from
the loss of economic opportunities caused by pollution and the
relocation of businesses. These dialogues were intended to provide
an opportunity, for the first time, for environmental justice
advocates and residents of impacted communities to systematically
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provide input regarding issues related to the EPA's Brownfields
Economic Redevelopment Initiative. In May 1996, the NEJAC and
EPA co-sponsored a Roundtable on Superfund Relocation issues in
Pensacola, Florida, to help EPA determine how relocation should be
considered during any cleanup decision. The first NEJAC/EPA
Enforcement Roundtable was held in San Antonio, Texas.
During the 1997 to 1999 period, the second NEJAC/EPA
Enforcement Roundtable was held in Durham, North Carolina; the
US-Mexico Border XXI program proposal was reviewed; and the
Agency's enforcement and compliance work plan was commented
on. In an effort to provide guidance to EPA regarding international
issues related to environmental justice, the first Roundtable on
Environmental Justice on the U.S. /Mexico Border was held August
19 to 21, 1999 in National City, California. The objectives of that
Roundtable were to define and trace the evolution of the national
and international environmental justice issues; identify
environmental justice issues along the joint U.S./Mexico border;
provide an overview of current border programs and explore ways
to address concerns; develop environmental justice border policies;
and identify existing enforcement and cleanup processes.
During the 1999 to 2006 period, NEJAC restructured its meetings
from addressing site-specific issues to addressing national policy
issues. In recent meetings, the following issues have been
discussed and reports of recommendations submitted to the
Administrator:
¦ November 30 to December 2, 1999, Washington, D.C. -
What factors should be considered by a federal agency, as well
as state or local agencies with delegated permitting authority in
the decision making process prior to allowing a new facility to
operate in a community that already may have a number of
such facilities?
• May 23 to 26, 2000, Atlanta, Georgia - Is there a direct
correlation between the environment and the public health
problems of the resident of communities that are located in
close proximity to multiple pollution-generating facilities?
• December 11 to 14,2000, Washington, D.C. - How have the
Federal agencies succeeded in integrating environmental
justice into their programs, operations, policies, and activities
pursuant to Executive Order 12898?
• December 3 to 6, 2001, Seattle, Washington - How should
the EPA improve the quality, quantity, and integrity of our
Nation's aquatic ecosystems in order to protect the health and
safety of people consuming or using fish, aquatic plants, and
wildlife?
• December 9 to 12, 2002, Baltimore, Maryland - How can
EPA promote innovation in the field of pollution prevention,
waste minimization, and related areas to more effectively
ensure a clean environment and quality of life for all peoples,
including low-income, minority and tribal communities?
• April 13 to 16, 2004, New Orleans, Louisiana - To ensure
environmental justice for all communities and tribes, what
short- and long-term actions should the Agency take in
proactively implementing the concepts contained in its
Framework for Cumulative Risk Assessment?
• June 20 to 22, 2006, Washington, D.C. - what mechanisms
will most effectively: ensure continuation of timely, relevant
and cogent public policy advice on environmental justice
issues/concerns; enable impacted communities to continue to
raise concerns to government agencies; support continued
partnership-building and problem-solving capacity among
EPA's regulatory partners and other environmental justice
stakeholders; and promote opportunities for training and
sharing lessons learned for all stakeholders involved in the
environmental justice dialogue.
PUBLIC MEETINGS
Because NEJAC is chartered under FACA, it is required to hold
public meetings to receive comments, questions, and
recommendations regarding environmental justice issues. Each
NEJAC meeting has the minimum of two hours for members of the
public to register and make statements before the NEJAC. The
comments are recorded and maintained as a part of the public
record of each meeting. Each meeting record is available to the
public on the Internet (see box below) or in Room 2224, Ariel Rios
Building, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C.
20004. In some cases, hard copies are available. Call the OEJ
Information Line at 1-800-962-6215.
MEMBERSHIP
Careful consideration is given to the appointment of each member
to ensure that the point of view of every stakeholder group is
represented. Members have staggered terms, and the membership is
rotated to provide the widest participation possible by the greatest
number of stakeholders.
INTERNET ACCESS
Information about the NEJAC, including reports and publication is
available on the Internet (see the box below), where you will be
prompted to select a variety of options for information about
NEJAC. You will be given an opportunity to add your name to the
Office of Environmental Justice's mailing list and be able to "link"
to other sites of interest.
NEJAC KEY POINTS OF CONTACT
Chair
Mr. Richard Moore
Designated Federal
Mr. Charles Lee 202-564-2597
Officer (DFO)
Program Manager
Ms. Victoria Robinson 202-564-6349
To receive the most
UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION about the NEJAC:
Call tol
-free at: 1-800-962-6215 OR
Go online at:
http://www.epa.gov/compliance/environmentaljustice
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