April 15, 2015
EPA Seeks Public Comments on Draft EJ 2020 Action Agenda Framework
WASHINGTON - Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is asking
for public comment on the draft EJ 2020 Action Agenda (EJ 2020)
framework, the EPA's next overarching strategic plan for environmental
justice.
EJ 2020 is a strategy to advance environmental justice through EPA’s
programs, policies and activities, and will support the cross-agency
strategy on making a visible difference in environmentally overburdened,
underserved, and economically-distressed communities. Stakeholders and
the general public can review the framework and submit comments,
starting today through June 15, 2015, by visiting
www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/ej2020/.
“EJ 2020 will build on the foundation established by EPA’s Plan EJ 2014,
where we were able to improve on EJ in permitting, support
community-based programs and develop science tools to access and
facilitate grants,” said Mustafa Santiago Ali, Senior Advisor to
Administrator Gina McCarthy on Environmental Justice. “Although we’ve
made good progress, there's still more to do. We need to strategically
identify opportunities for targeted collaboration that benefit
overburdened communities. Your voices, experiences and expertise can
help shape a strategy that addresses the needs of your communities.”
The goals of EJ 2020 are to:
1. Deepen environmental justice practice within EPA
programs to improve the health and environment of overburdened
communities;
2. Collaborate with partners to expand our impact within
communities; and
3. Demonstrate progress on outcomes that matter to
communities.
Under Plan EJ 2014, EPA laid a foundation for integrating environmental
justice into all its programs, including rule-writing, permitting,
enforcement, science and law. Plan EJ 2014 helped to build environmental
justice into the agency’s regulatory practice, revitalized environmental
justice planning across the federal family, and initiated the
development of a cross-cutting Environmental Justice Research Roadmap.
To learn more about the accomplishments under Plan EJ 2014, visit
http://epa.gov/environmentaljustice/plan-ej/index.html.
During the public comment period for EJ 2020, EPA will conduct
informational and dialogue sessions with partners and stakeholder
groups. Audiences are encouraged to participate in these sessions and
request additional sessions if needed. For more information about EJ
2020, and to view a schedule of these sessions, visit
www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/ej2020/.
Environmental justice is defined as the fair treatment and meaningful
involvement of all people, regardless of race or income with respect to
the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws,
regulations, and policies. EPA’s goal is to provide an environment
where all people enjoy equal access to the environmental decision-making
process to maintain a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and
work. EPA’s environmental justice work is an outgrowth of Executive
Order 12898, signed by President Clinton in 1994, that requires federal
agencies to address the disproportionately high and adverse human health
or environmental effects of their programs on minority and low-income
populations.
For more information about EPA’s environmental justice work, visit:
http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/.
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