[CPEO-BIF] EPA's November 4, 2005 Environmental Justice Memo

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

On November 4, 2005, EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson issued a
memorandum reaffirming the Agency's commitment to environmental justice.
The original signed, formatted version may be downloaded as a 3.5 M PDF
file from
http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/policies/ej/admin-ej-commit-letter-110305.pdf

Text of memo:

November 4, 2005

MEMORANDUM

SUBJECT:  Reaffirming the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's
Commitment to Environmental Justice

TO: Assistant Administrators
Regional Administrators
Associate Administrators
Office Directors
General Counsel
Chief Financial Officer
Inspector General

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maintains an ongoing commitment
to ensure environmental justice for all people, regardless of race,
color, national origin, or income. In recognizing that minority and/or
low-income communities frequently may be exposed disproportionately to
environmental harms and risks, EPA works to protect these and other
burdened communities from adverse human health and environmental effects
of its programs, consistent with existing environmental and civil rights
laws, and their implementing regulations, as well as Executive Order
12898, "Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority
Populations and Low-Income Populations." (Feb. 11, 1994) Ensuring
environmental justice means not only protecting human health and the
environment for everyone, but also ensuring that all people are treated
fairly and are given the opportunity to participate meaningfully in the
development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws,
regulations, and policies.

This memorandum reaffirms EPA's commitment to environmental justice and
directs EPA to more fully and effectively integrate environmental
justice considerations into its programs, policies, and activities.
Specifically, I am directing the Agency to incorporate environmental
justice considerations into its planning and budgeting processes. I have
asked the Chief Financial Officer to issue supplemental guidance to
incorporate environmental justice considerations through the use of the
existing Goal Teams process. In the Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years
2006-2011, EPA will: (1) establish, as appropriate, measurable
environmental justice commitments (such as strategic targets) for eight
national environmental priorities and other critical areas of focus; and
(2) identify the means and strategies to achieve the commitments and
measure outcomes to help ensure that Agency resources reach
disproportionately burdened communities, including disproportionately
burdened minority and/or low-income communities.

The eight national environmental justice priorities include:

Air 
Reduce Asthma Attacks 
Reduce Exposure to Air Toxics

Enforcement and Compliance
Ensure Compliance

Toxics                  
Reduced Incidence of Elevated Blood Lead Levels

Water
Fish and Shellfish Safe to Eat
Water Safe to Drink

Land Preservation and Restoration
Revitalization of Brownfields and Contaminated Sites

Cross-Cutting 
Collaborative Problem-Solving

The national environmental justice priorities will create an Agency-wide
focus on issues, such as reduction of asthma attacks, that are relevant
nationwide and which environmental justice advocates and others have
identified as critical environmental justice issues. However, I also
encourage the National Program Managers and the Regions to identify
additional priorities that address opportunities beyond those identified above.

I also ask for your continued support and commitment to consider
environmental justice in every aspect of our work to the greatest extent
practicable and permitted by law. This includes:

1. Developing and conducting EPA's programs, policies, and activities
that substantially affect human health and the environment to ensure the
fair treatment of all people, including minority and/or low-income
populations; 
2. Ensuring fair and equitable enforcement of protective environmental
laws for all people, including minority and/or low-income populations; 
3. Ensuring greater public participation in the Agency's development and
implementation of environmental regulations and policies; and 
4. Improving research and data collection for Agency programs relating
to the health and environment of all people, including minority and/or
low-income populations.

EPA will continue to implement its programs and activities to ensure
that they do not adversely affect populations with critical
environmental and public health issues, including minority and
low-income communities. The Office of Environmental Justice and the
Environmental Justice Coordinators in each headquarters program office
and region are available to assist you. OEJ's Director, Barry E. Hill,
can be reached at (202) 564-2515.

Thank you all for your attention to this important environmental and
health issue. Together, we can all do our part to ensure that everyone
has a safe and healthy environment in which to live, learn, work, and
play. 

Stephen L. Johnson

-- 


Lenny Siegel
Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
c/o PSC, 278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org
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