^tD sr^ * UeJ \ IŪ/ PLAN EJ 2014 INFORMATION TOOLS DEVELOPMENT (EJ SCREEN PROJECT) DRAFT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN Led by Office of Policy Plan EJ 2014 is EPA's roadmap to integrate environmental justice (EJ) into its programs and policies. 2014 represents the 20th anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 12898 on environmental justice. ------- Comments regarding the Information Tools Development Draft Implementation Plan can be submitted on Regulations.gov Docket # EPA-HQ-OECA-2011-0290. Comments will be accepted through April 29, 2011. For more information on Plan EJ 2014, visit the US EPA's Office of Environmental Justice website at: http://www.epa.gov/environmentaliustice/plan-ei/index.html. ------- Plan EJ 2014: Information Tools Development Draft Implementation Plan, March 1, 2011 1.0 INTRODUCTION Under Plan EJ 2014, EPA has committed to develop a nationally consistent screening tool to enhance environmental justice (EJ) analysis and decision-making. As a result of this effort, increased consistency of data and methods will be brought to EJ screening work across EPA, and communities will have a better understanding of how EPA screens for potential EJ concerns. This work is a specific element of Plan EJ 2014 and furthers the Administrator's environmental justice priority. 1.1 Goal EPA seeks to make a nationally consistent screening tool available to all Program Offices and Regions within three years. 1.2 Organizational Structure The Office of Policy has the lead on this project. The project is overseen by a steering committee comprised of Assistant Administrators or their designees from the Office of Policy, Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance/Office of Environmental Justice, the Office of Research and Development, the Office of Environmental Information, and Regions 7, 8, and 9. In addition, a staff level workgroup meets regularly and has participation from nearly every Program Office and Region. 2.0 IMPLEMENTATION Activity 1: Hold regular staff workgroup and project steering committee meetings. Activity 2: Develop a set of options to present to Senior Agency Officials. Activity 3: Create a working prototype of screening tool. Activity 4: Update the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council on progress. Activity 5: Obtain peer review and public comment on a prototype tool. Activity 6: Revise the screening tool based on comments. Activity 7: Incorporate the screening tool into EPA's common mapping platform. 2.1 Adjustments Adjustments to the prototype tool may be made after public comment, after peer review, and in response to feedback from early users. 3.0 DELIVERABLES A detailed schedule of deliverables has yet to be developed for this project. 3.1 Reports For information, please contact: Glynis Hill, 202-564-1139, hill.glynis@epa.gov. 1 ------- |