^tD S7% * Q \ PLAN EJ 2014 SUMMARY OF DRAFT IMPLEMENTATION PLANS March 1, Plan EJ 2014 is EPA's road map to integrate environmental justice (EJ) in its programs and policies. 2014 represents the 20 " anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 12898 on environmental justice. ------- Comments regarding the Draft Summary Document can be submitted on Regulations.gov Docket # EPA-HQ-OECA-2011-0299. 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 Summary of Draft Implementation Plans, March 1, 2011 INTRODUCTION In January 2010, Administrator Jackson made Expanding the Conversation on Environmentalism and Working for Environmental Justice an Agency priority. This priority was incorporated in the EPA Strategic Plan for 2011-2015. To implement this priority, EPA launched Plan EJ 2014 as the Agency's overarching strategy for integrating environmental justice (EJ) in its programs, policies and activities. February 2014 will mark the twentieth anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 12898, "Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations." Plan EJ 2014 seeks to: • Protect the environment and health in overburdened communities; • Empower communities to take action to improve their health and environment; and • Establish partnerships with local, state, tribal and federal governments and organizations to achieve healthy and sustainable communities. Plan EJ 2014 has three major sections: Cross-Agency Focus Areas, Tools Development Areas, and Program-Specific Initiatives. The following summaries outline the Draft Implementation Plans for Plan EJ 2014's five Cross-Agency areas and four Tools Development areas. CROSS-AGENCY FOCUS AREAS Incorporating Environmental Justice into Rulemaking Goal: To more effectively protect human health and the environment for disproportionately burdened populations by developing and implementing guidance for incorporating environmental justice considerations into EPA's rulemaking process. Strategies: • Finalize the Interim Guidance on Considering Environmental Justice During the Development of an Action; • Facilitate and monitor implementation of guidance; and • Develop guidance on performing technical analyses to assess the potential distributional effects of rulemaking activities. Considering Environmental Justice in Permitting Goals: To enable disproportionately burdened communities to have full and meaningful access to the permitting process and to develop permits that address environmental justice issues to the greatest extent practicable under existing environmental laws. Strategies: • Develop tools and recommendations that will enhance the ability of disproportionately burdened communities to participate fully and meaningfully in the permitting process; • Develop tools and recommendations to assist permitting authorities to meaningfully address environmental justice in permitting decisions; and • Implement these tools and recommendations at EPA and work with others to do the same. 1 ------- Plan EJ 2014 Summary of Draft Implementation Plans, March 1, 2011 Advancing Environmental Justice through Compliance and Enforcement Goal: To fully integrate, over the next three years, consideration of EJ concerns into the planning and implementation of OECA's program strategies, case targeting strategies, and development of remedies in enforcement actions to benefit vulnerable communities. Strategies: • Advance EJ goals through selection and implementation of National Enforcement Initiatives; • Advance EJ goals through targeting and development of compliance and enforcement actions; • Enhance use of enforcement and compliance tools to advance EJ goals in Regions' geographic initiatives to address overburdened communities; • Seek appropriate remedies in enforcement actions to benefit vulnerable and overburdened communities and address EJ concerns; and • Enhance communication with affected communities and the public regarding EJ concerns and the distribution and benefits of enforcement actions, as appropriate. Supporting Community-Based Action Programs Goal: To strengthen community-based programs to engage overburdened communities and build partnerships that promote healthy, sustainable and green communities. • Advance EJ principles by building strong state and tribal partnerships through the FY2011 National Environmental Performance Partnership System (NEPPS) and National Program Manager (NPM) guidance; • Align multiple community-based programs to provide funding and technical assistance to build capacity to address critical issues affecting minority, low-income, indigenous, and other underserved communities; • Promote a One-EPA presence to better engage communities in the Agency's work to protect human health and the environment; • Foster community-based programs modeled on CARE principles; and • Explore how EPA funding, policies and programs can inform or help local decision-makers to maximize benefits and minimize adverse impacts from land use decision-making, planning and siting. Fostering Administration-Wide Action on Environmental Justice Goal: To facilitate the active involvement of all federal agencies in implementing EO 12898 by minimizing and mitigating disproportionate negative impacts while fostering environmental, public health and economic benefits for minority, low-income, indigenous and other overburdened communities. Strategies: • Assist other federal agencies to integrate EJ in their programs, policies, and activities; • Work with other federal agencies to strengthen use of interagency legal tools, i.e., National Environmental Policy Act and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; • Foster healthy and sustainable communities, with an emphasis on place-based initiatives; and • Strengthen community access to federal agencies. 2 ------- Plan EJ 2014 Summary of Draft Implementation Plans, March 1, 2011 TOOLS DEVELOPMENT Science Goal: To substantially support and conduct research, within five years, that employs participatory principles and integrates social and physical sciences aimed at understanding and illuminating solutions to environmental and health inequalities among low income, minority, indigenous, underserved and overburdened populations and communities in the US. All Agency decisions will make use of the information, data, and analytic tools produced. • Apply integrated trans-disciplinary and community-based participatory research approaches with a focus on addressing multi-media, cumulative impacts and equity in environmental health; • Create mechanisms to incorporate perspectives from community-based organizations and community leaders into EPA research agendas and engaging in collaborative partnerships with them on science and research to address environmental justice; • Leverage partnerships with other federal agencies on issues of research, policy and action to address health disparities; • Build and strengthen the technical capacity of Agency scientists on conducting research in partnership with impacted communities and translating research results to inform change; and • Build and strengthen technical capacity of community-based organizations and community environmental justice and health leaders. Law Goal: To provide legal assistance to EPA policy makers and other Agency decision-makers to advance their environmental justice objectives. Strategy Provide legal support to each Plan EJ 2914 Cross-Agency Focus Area workgroup. Information. Information (EJ Screen Project) Goal: To make a nationally consistent screening tool available to all Program Offices and Regions within three years. Strategy: Develop an EJ screening layer for placement on the EPA's geospatial platform. Resources Tools Development Grants and Technical Assistance Goal: To develop an efficient and effective system for delivering financial and technical assistance to communities to empower them to improve their health and environment. Strategies: • Increase transparency and efficiency in providing community-based grant opportunities; • Improve delivery of technical assistance to communities; • Strengthen grants training for communities; • Improve community awareness of grant competition process; • Revise grant policies that are unduly restrictive; 3 ------- Plan EJ 2014 Summary of Draft Implementation Plans, March 1, 2011 • Encourage legal and program offices to dialog on community-based grant opportunities; and • improve timeliness of Brownfields Grant Awards. Workforce Diversity Goal: To achieve an inclusive work environment by developing an efficient system for the outreach and recruitment of potential employees. Strategies: • Increase the diverse pool of qualified applicants; and • Operate under a One-EPA approach for recruitment and outreach. For information on Plan EJ 2014 and how to get involved, please contact: Charles Lee, Deputy Associate Assistant Administrator for Environmental Justice, 202-564-2440, lee.charles@epa.gov. 4 ------- |