Environmental Justice

Environmental justice is 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. This goal will be achieved when everyone enjoys:  

  • The same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards, and

  • Equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and work.

    • Most of the study area is considered economically disadvantaged based on the census data.

Methodology

Share data sources with CEQ

The tool highlights disadvantaged census tracts across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories.

Communities are considered disadvantaged:

  • If they are in census tracts that meet the thresholds for at least one of the tool’s categories of burden, or

  • If they are on land within the boundaries of Federally Recognized Tribes

Categories of Burdens

The tool uses datasets as indicators of burdens. The burdens are organized into categories. A community is highlighted as disadvantaged on the CEJST map if it is in a census tract that is (1) at or above the threshold for one or more environmental, climate, or other burdens, and (2) at or above the threshold for an associated socioeconomic burden.

In addition, a census tract that is completely surrounded by disadvantaged communities and is at or above the 50% percentile for low income is also considered disadvantaged.

Census tracts are small units of geography. Census tract boundaries for statistical areas are determined by the U.S. Census Bureau once every ten years. The tool utilizes the census tract boundaries from 2010. This was chosen because many of the data sources in the tool currently use the 2010 census boundaries.

  • Climate Change

    Communities are identified as disadvantaged if they are in census tracts that:

    ARE at or above the 90th percentile for expected agriculture loss rate OR expected building loss rate OR expected population loss rate OR projected flood risk OR projected wildfire risk

    AND are at or above the 65th percentile for low income

  • Energy

    Communities are identified as disadvantaged if they are in census tracts that:

    ARE at or above the 90th percentile for energy cost OR PM2.5 in the air

    AND are at or above the 65th percentile for low income

  • Health

    Communities are identified as disadvantaged if they are in census tracts that:

    ARE at or above the 90th percentile for asthma OR diabetes OR heart disease OR low life expectancy

    AND are at or above the 65th percentile for low income

  • Housing

    Communities are identified as disadvantaged if they are in census tracts that:

    Experienced historic underinvestment OR are at or above the 90th percentile for housing cost OR lack of green space OR lack of indoor plumbing OR lead paint

    AND are at or above the 65th percentile for low income

  • Legacy Pollution

    Communities are identified as disadvantaged if they are in census tracts that:

    Have at least one abandoned mine land OR Formerly Used Defense Sites OR are at or above the 90th percentile for proximity to hazardous waste facilities OR proximity to Superfund sites (National Priorities List (NPL) OR proximity to Risk Management Plan (RMP) facilities

    AND are at or above the 65th percentile for low income

  • Transportation

    Communities are identified as disadvantaged if they are in census tracts that:

    ARE at or above the 90th percentile for diesel particulate matter exposure OR transportation barriers OR traffic proximity and volume

    AND are at or above the 65th percentile for low income

  • Water and Wastewater

    Communities are identified as disadvantaged if they are in census tracts that:

    ARE at or above the 90th percentile for underground storage tanks and releases OR wastewater discharge

    AND are at or above the 65th percentile for low income

  • Workforce Development

    Communities are identified as disadvantaged if they are in census tracts that:

    ARE at or above the 90th percentile for linguistic isolation OR low median income OR poverty OR unemployment

    AND more than 10% of people ages 25 years or older whose high school education is less than a high school diplomaDescription goes here