State and Federal Environmental Justice, Climate Justice, Disadvantaged, and Vulnerable Community Definitions

Compiled by ILLUME Advising, LLC
Last Updates Made: March 16, 2022

This site aggregates state definitions of environmental justice (EJ) and criteria for EJ, climate justice (CJ), disadvantaged, and vulnerable communities. EJ definitions and community criteria can inform state officials, community members, and organizations looking to create their own definitions, criteria, or policies for EJ or CJ communities or populations.

This is intended to cover official policies or definitions (preferably defined in law). However, unofficial policies–such as agency-specific definitions that are not laws, or proposed policy definitions that did not or have not passed to date–are also included.

This table describes definitions and criteria to identify EJ and CJ communities geographically.

STATE AND FEDERAL EJ AND CJ COMMUNITY CRITERIA

This table contains text definitions of “environmental justice” such as the EPA’s definition of “fair treatment and meaningful involvement” of all people in environmental laws, regulations, and policies.

STATE AND FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE DEFINITIONS

This information was primarily collected based on  internet research of state websites and is intended to represent the most recent and comprehensive definitions/criteria. Policies and definitions are rapidly evolving, and we welcome feedback and input to keep this list up-to-date. If you have questions, comments, updates, or additions, please fill out the form below:

Submit Updates Here

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: Populations of Concern

Definition: Minority populations, low-income populations, and Indigenous Peoples

Criteria used: Sociodemographics

Criteria not used: Environmental burdens, climate, economic, or business

state EJ Definition:

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.

US EPA Executive Order 12898

Source

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Justice40

Community Terms and Definitions

Term Used: Disadvantaged Communities

Definition: As set forth in Executive Order (EO) 14008 on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, disadvantaged communities are those that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution. In line with this Executive Order, the beta version of the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) uses a methodology and datasets that identify communities that are economically disadvantaged and overburdened by pollution and underinvestment in housing, transportation, water and wastewater infrastructure, and health care. A community qualifies as “disadvantaged” if the census tract is above the threshold for one or more environmental or climate indicators and the tract is above the threshold for the socioeconomic indicators.

Criteria used: Sociodemographics, environmental burdens, climate, economic, or business

Criteria not used: N/A

Year: 2022

Beta Version of Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool

SOURCE

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Alabama

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: None Found

State EJ Definition: None Found

Note: There is no state-specific definition of environmental justice. However, the state refers to the USEPA definition or Executive Order 12898 (EO12898).

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Alaska

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: None Found

State EJ Definition: None Found

Note: There is no state-specific definition of environmental justice. However, the state refers to the USEPA definition or Executive Order 12898 (EO12898).

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Arizona

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: Communities

Definition: The legislation finds that:

  1. Racial and ethnic minority populations and low-income communities bear a disproportionate share of the health risks caused by polluted air and contaminated water and by solid waste landfills, hazardous waste facilities, waste water treatment plants, waste incinerators, and other similar projects.
  2. This disproportionate impact of environmental hazards on minority and low-income communities is largely the result of past governmental decisions.
  3. The federal government underscores the importance of environmental justice by having a national environmental justice advisory council to promote environmental justice in the United States environmental protection agency’s policies, programs, initiatives, and activities.
  4. This state is committed to ensuring that communities are afforded fair treatment and meaningful involvement in decision-making regardless of race, color, ethnicity, religion, income, or education level.

Note: This is found under the “Legislative Intent” of the policy.

Criteria used: Sociodemographics, environmental burdens

Criteria not used: Climate, economic, or business

Year: 2018

Legislation SB 1408

SOURCE

State EJ Definition: None Found

Note: There is no state-specific definition of environmental justice. However, the state refers to the USEPA definition or Executive Order 12898 (EO12898).

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Arkansas

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: None Found

State EJ Definition: None Found

Note: There is no state-specific definition of environmental justice. However, the state refers to the USEPA definition or Executive Order 12898 (EO12898).

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California

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: Disadvantaged Communities

Definition: Disadvantaged communities shall be identified based on geographic, socioeconomic, public health, and environmental hazard criteria, and may include, but are not limited to, either of the following:

  1. Areas disproportionately affected by environmental pollution and other hazards that can lead to negative public health effects, exposure, or environmental degradation.
  2. Areas with concentrations of people that are of low income, high unemployment, low levels of homeownership, high rent burden, sensitive populations, or low levels of educational attainment.

Criteria used: Sociodemographics, environmental burdens

Criteria not used: Climate, economic, or business

Year: 2012

Legislation SB 535

Source

Term used: Priority Populations

Definition: Priority populations include the State’s disadvantaged communities, low-income communities, and low-income households. (See definition for disadvantaged communities above.) Low-income communities and households are those with incomes either at or below 80% of the statewide median or below a threshold designated as low-income by the Department of Housing and Community Development.

Criteria used: Sociodemographics, environmental burdens

Criteria not used: Climate, economic, or business

Year: 2016

Legislation AB 1550

SOURCE

Term used: Disadvantaged Vulnerable Communities

Definition: All tribal lands, 25% highest scoring census tracts on CalEnviroScreen, census tracts with median household income less than 60% of state median income, rural and unincorporated areas with high pollution burden.

Criteria used: Sociodemographics, environmental burdens

Criteria not used: Climate, economic, or business

Year: 2020

Legislation CPUC Decision 20-08-046

SOURCE

State EJ Definition:

Environmental justice means the fair treatment of people of all races, cultures, and incomes with respect to the development, adoption, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.

Legislation

Source

 

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Colorado

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: Disproportionate Impacted Community

Definition: A community that is in a census block group where the proportion of households that are low income, that identify as minority, or that are housing cost-burdened is greater than 40%; or any other community as identified or approved by a state agency, if the community: Has a history of environmental racism perpetuated through redlining, anti-Indigenous, anti-immigrant, anti-Hispanic, or anti-Black laws; or is one where multiple factors may act cumulatively to affect health and the environment and contribute to persistent disparities.

Criteria used: Sociodemographics, environmental burdens

Criteria not used: Climate, economic, or business

Year: 2021

Legislation HB21-1266

State EJ Definition: None Found

Note: There is no state-specific definition of environmental justice. However, the state refers to the USEPA definition or Executive Order 12898 (EO12898).

Source

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Connecticut

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: Distressed Municipalities

Definition: A distressed municipality should be based on high unemployment and poverty, aging housing stock and low or declining rates of growth in job creation, population, and per capita income.

Criteria used: Sociodemographics, economic, or business

Criteria not used: Environmental burdens

Year: 2012

Legislation CT Gen Stat § 32-9p

SOURCE

State EJ Definition:

No segment of the population should, because of its racial or economic makeup, bear a disproportionate share of the risks and consequences of environmental pollution, or be denied equal access to environmental benefits.

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Delaware

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: EJ Communities

Definition: [Communities that] are likely to experience disparate air pollution impacts, such as communities located near major highways, heavy industry, or located in densely populated areas.

Criteria used: Environmental burden

Criteria not used: Sociodemographics, economic, or business

Year: 2019

SOURCE

State EJ Definition:

Environmental justice seeks equity for minority and low-income communities that may be disproportionately exposed – and vulnerable – to adverse environmental impacts. Simply put, practicing environmental justice ensures that everyone has an equal seat at the table where decisions are made.

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Florida

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: Communities

Definition: According to the statistical proximity study contained in the final report of the Environmental Equity and Justice Commission, minority and low-income communities are disproportionately impacted by targeted environmentally hazardous sites.

This is found under the “Legislative Intent” of the statute.

Criteria used: Sociodemographics, environmental burden

Criteria not used: Economic or business

Year: 2021

Legislature statutes 376.79

State EJ Definition: None Found

Note: There is no state-specific definition of environmental justice. However, the state refers to the USEPA definition or Executive Order 12898 (EO12898).

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Georgia

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: Communities

Definition: A study of site demographics containing an analysis of population by race, ethnicity, age, and the percentage of persons from low-income families in the neighborhood and a requirement that the permitting agency consider such data in determining whether to issue a permit.

Criteria used: Sociodemographics

Criteria not used: Environmental burdens, economic, or business

Year: 2021

Legislation HB 432

State EJ Definition:

Governmental agencies shall consider the disproportionate effect of environmental hazards on people of color or people from low-income families in implementing certain environmental policies; to provide that no person in Georgia shall be excluded from any state funded program or activity because of race, color, or national origin.

Note: This bill has not been passed yet and does not define EJ so much as it defines the role of the EJ Commission.

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Hawaii

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: Communities

Note: Hawaii does not have an official definition yet, but the state recently has recently created an Environmental Justice Mapping Task Force to define Environmental Justice, identify communities, etc.

Criteria used: Sociodemographics, environmental burden

Criteria not used: Economic or business

Year: 2021

Legislation HB 1244

Term used: Frontline Communities

Definition: Frontline communities are typically defined as communities that are disproportionately exposed and vulnerable to health threats, climate-based disruptions, and economic dislocation and that have fewer resources, capacity, safety nets, or political agency to respond to and withstand those risks; and often include low-income communities; immigrant and refugee communities including those with undocumented immigrants; Native Hawaiian, Compact of Free Association (more commonly referred to as “COFA”), and other Pacific Islander communities; communities of color; people with disabilities; people experiencing houselessness or housing insecurity; the LGBTQ community; as well as women, keiki, kupuna, and anyone at the intersection of these identities;

Criteria used: Climate

Criteria not used: 

Year: 2021

Legislation: HI HCR112

State EJ Definition: None Found

Note: There is no state-specific definition of environmental justice. However, the state refers to the USEPA definition or Executive Order 12898 (EO12898).

Source

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Idaho

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: None Found

State EJ Definition: None Found

Note: The Department of Commerce has a Social and Environmental Justice page, but it only refers to the Ben and Jerry’s Foundation.

Source

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Illinois

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: Areas of EJ concern

Definition: An area of EJ concern is a community with a low-income and/or minority population greater than twice the statewide average.

Criteria used: Sociodemographics

Criteria not used: Environmental burdens, economic, or business

Year: 2018

Term used: Equity-focused populations

Definition: “Equity-focused populations” means (i) low-income persons; (ii) persons residing in equity investment eligible communities; (iii) persons who identify as black, indigenous, and people of color; (iv) formerly convicted persons; (v) persons who are or were in the child welfare system; (vi) energy workers; (vii) dependents of displaced energy workers; (viii) women; (ix) LGBTQ+, transgender, or gender nonconforming persons; (x) persons with disabilities; and (xi) members of any of these groups who are also youth.

Criteria used: Sociodemographics, economic, or business

Criteria not used: Environmental burdens

Year: 2021

Term used: Environmental Justice Communities

Definition: Environmental justice communities, as defined by the Illinois Power Agency pursuant to the Illinois Power Agency Act, but excluding racial and ethnic indicators, where residents have historically been subject to disproportionate burdens of pollution, including pollution from the energy sector.

Criteria used: Environmental burdens

Criteria not used: Sociodemographics, economic, or business

Year: 2021

Legislation: The Climate Environmental Justice Act

State EJ Definition:

Environmental Justice is based on the principle that all people should be protected from environmental pollution and have the right to a clean and healthy environment. Environmental justice is the protection of the health of the people of Illinois and its environment, equity in the administration of the State’s environmental programs, and the provision of adequate opportunities for meaningful involvement of all people with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.

Source

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Indiana

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: None Found

State EJ Definition: None Found

Note: There is no state-specific definition of environmental justice. However, the state refers to the USEPA definition or Executive Order 12898 (EO12898).

Source

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Iowa

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: None Found

State EJ Definition: None Found

Note: There is no state definition of EJ in Iowa, however, there is a proposed bill for climate and adaptation resiliency.

Source

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Kansas

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: Underserved Communities

Definition: An “underserved community” refers to a community with environmental justice concerns and/or vulnerable populations, including minority, low income, rural, tribal, indigenous, and homeless populations that may be disproportionately impacted by environmental harms and risks. [Not a legal definition but used by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment].

Criteria used: Sociodemographics, environmental burdens, economic, or business

Criteria not used: 

Year: 2018

State EJ Definition: None Found

Note: There is a page on the Kansas State website that is devoted to Title IV and EJ issues, but no state-specific definition in law.

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Kentucky

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: None Found

State EJ Definition:

Environmental justice (EJ) 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.

Source

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Louisana

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: Underserved Communities

Definition: No specific definition found, but it is used by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality.

SOURCE

State EJ Definition: None found

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Maine

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: None Found

State EJ Definition: None Found

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Maryland

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: Communities

Definition: Low-income and minority communities are most vulnerable to EJ issues. Often these communities do not have an organized community group that can serve as a point of contact. As a result, these communities may house a disproportionate number of polluting facilities putting residents at a much higher risk for health problems from environmental exposures. Any community can be subject to the effects of EJ issues if their citizens are not informed and able to be involved in the local land use decision-making process. [According to the legislation from 2019, MD creates an EJ Commission that is supposed to define EJ communities and sustainable communities within three years — no new info on this yet].

Criteria used: Sociodemographics, environmental burdens

Criteria not used: Economic or business

Year: 2019

Legislation: MD Env Code § 1-701

State EJ Definition:

Environmental Justice means equal protection from environmental and public health hazards for all people regardless of race, income, culture, and social status.

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Massachusetts

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: EJ Populations

Definition: In Massachusetts, a neighborhood is defined as an Environmental Justice population if one or more of the following four criteria are true: 1. the annual median household income is not more than 65 per cent of the statewide annual median household income; 2. minorities comprise 40 per cent or more of the population; 3. 25 per cent or more of households lack English language proficiency; or 4. minorities comprise 25 per cent or more of the population and the annual median household income of the municipality in which the neighborhood is located does not exceed 150 per cent of the statewide annual median household income.

Criteria used: Sociodemographics

Criteria not used: Environmental burdens, economic, or business

Year: 2021

Legislation: SB 09

Source

State EJ Definition: 

EJ is the equal protection and meaningful involvement of all people with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies and the equitable distribution of environmental benefits.

Source

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Michigan

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: None Found

State EJ Definition:

Environmental Justice is the equitable treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race, color, national origin, ability, or income and is critical to the development and application of laws, regulations, and policies that affect the environment, as well as the places people live, work, play, worship, and learn.

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Minnesota

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: Areas of Concern

Definition: The agency [MPCA] considers a census tract to be an area of concern for environmental justice if it meets one or both demographic criteria: the number of people of color is greater than 50%; or more than 40% of the households have a household income of less than 185% of the federal poverty level. Additionally, the MPCA considers communities within Tribal boundaries as areas of concern.

Criteria used: Sociodemographics

Criteria not used: Environmental burdens, economic, or business

Year: 2012

Legislation: MPCA Environmental Justice Policy

Source

State EJ Definition: None Found

Note: There is no state-specific definition of environmental justice. However, the state refers to the USEPA definition or Executive Order 12898 (EO12898).

Source

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Mississippi

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: None Found

Note: The DEQ website says that they use the USEPA’s EJSCREEN to help identify EJ communities, but it doesn’t give parameters.

State EJ Definition: None Found

Note: There is no state-specific definition of environmental justice. However, the state refers to the USEPA definition or Executive Order 12898 (EO12898).

Source

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Missouri

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: “Groups” based on EO 12898 and Title VI

Definition: Addresses persons belonging to any of the following groups: (i) Black – a person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa; (ii) Hispanic – a person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race; (iii) Asian – a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent; (iv) American Indian and Alaskan Native – a person having origins in any of the original people of North America and who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community recognition (v) Low-Income – a person whose household income (or in the case of a community or group, whose median household income) is at or below the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services poverty guidelines; (vi) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander – a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.

Year: 2000

Term Used: Underserved Populations

Definition: None found, but the Missouri of Transportation of Department uses this term.

Year: 1999

Source

State EJ Definition:

Note: There is no state-specific definition of environmental justice. However, the state refers to the USEPA definition, Executive Order 12898 (EO12898), and the Federal Transit Administration principles of EJ.

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Montana

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: “Groups” based on EO 12898 and Title VI

Definition: Addresses persons belonging to any of the following groups: (i) Black – a person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa; (ii) Hispanic – a person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race; (iii) Asian – a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent; (iv) American Indian and Alaskan Native – a person having origins in any of the original people of North America and who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community recognition (v) Low-Income – a person whose household income (or in the case of a community or group, whose median household income) is at or below the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services poverty guidelines; (vi) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander – a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.

Year: 2017

State EJ Definition: None Found

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Nebraska

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: Communities

Definition: Adverse environmental justice impacts would mean a disproportionately high and negative human health or environmental effect on minority and low-income populations. This is a chapter on EJ but no clear definition present.

Criteria used: Sociodemographics, environmental burdens

Criteria not used: Economic or business

Year: 2018

Source

State EJ Definition: None Found

Note: There is no state-specific definition of environmental justice. However, the state refers to the USEPA definition or Executive Order 12898 (EO12898).

Source

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Nevada

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: “Groups” based on EO 12898 and Title IV

Definition: Addresses persons belonging to any of the following groups: (i) Black – a person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa; (ii) Hispanic – a person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race; (iii) Asian – a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent; (iv) American Indian and Alaskan Native – a person having origins in any of the original people of North America and who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community recognition (v) Low-Income – a person whose household income (or in the case of a community or group, whose median household income) is at or below the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services poverty guidelines; (vi) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander – a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.

State EJ Definition:

Environmental Justice (EJ) means identifying and addressing disproportionately high and adverse effects of the agency’s programs, policies, and activities on minority populations and low-income populations to achieve an equitable distribution of benefits and burdens.

Note: Nevada also refers to the USEPA definition or Executive Order 12898 (EO12898).

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New Hampshire

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: None Found

State EJ Definition: None Found

Note: There is no state-specific definition of environmental justice. However, the state refers to the USEPA definition or Executive Order 12898 (EO12898).

Source

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New Jersey

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: Overburdened Communities (OBC)

Definition: An Overburdened Community (OBC), as defined by the law, is any census block group, as determined in accordance with the most recent United States Census, in which:

  1. At least 35% of the households qualify as low-income households (at or below twice the poverty threshold as determined by the United States Census Bureau).
  2. At least 40% of the residents identify as minority or as members of a State recognized tribal community.
  3. At least 40% of the households have limited English proficiency (without an adult that speaks English “very well” according to the United States Census Bureau).

Criteria used: Sociodemographics

Criteria not used: Environmental, economic, or business

Year: 2020

Legislation: EJ Law N.J.S.A. 13:1D-157

Source

State EJ Definition:

Environmental Justice includes, at a minimum, ensuring that residents of all communities receive fair and equitable treatment in decision-making that affects their environment, communities, homes, and health.

Note: New Jersey also refers to the USEPA definition or Executive Order 12898 (EO12898).

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New Mexico

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: None Found

State EJ Definition: None Found

Note: There is no state-specific definition of environmental justice. However, the state refers to the USEPA definition or Executive Order 12898 (EO12898).

Source

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New York

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: Potential Environmental Justice Areas

Definition: Potential EJ Areas are U.S. Census block groups of 250 to 500 households each that, in the Census, had populations that met or exceeded at least one of the following statistical thresholds:

  1. At least 52.42% of the population in an urban area reported themselves to be members of minority groups.
  2. At least 26.28% of the population in a rural area reported themselves to be members of minority groups.
  3. At least 22.82% of the population in an urban or rural area had household incomes below the federal poverty level.

Criteria used: Sociodemographics

Criteria not used: Environmental burdens, economic, or business

Year: 2020

Source

Term used: Disadvantaged communities

Definition: “Disadvantaged communities” means communities that bear burdens of negative public health effects, environmental pollution, impacts of climate change, and possess certain socioeconomic criteria, or comprise high-concentrations of low- and moderate-income households, as identified pursuant to section 75-0111 of this article. [SECTION 74-0111} Disadvantaged communities shall be identified based on geographic, public health, environmental hazard, and socioeconomic criteria, which shall include but are not limited to: (i) areas burdened by cumulative environmental pollution and other hazards that can lead to negative public health effects; (ii) areas with concentrations of people that are of low income, high unemployment, high rent burden, low levels of home ownership, low levels of educational attainment, or members of groups that have historically experienced discrimination on the basis of race or ethnicity; and (iii) areas vulnerable to the impacts of climate change such as flooding, storm surges, and urban heat island effects.

Criteria used: Sociodemographics, environmental burdens, climate

Criteria not used: Economic or business

Year: 2019

Legislation: SB S6599

Source

State EJ Definition:

Environmental Justice is the fair and meaningful treatment of all people, regardless of race, income, national origin, or color, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.

Note: New York also refers to the USEPA definition or Executive Order 12898 (EO12898).

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North Carolina

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: Communities

Definition: The NCCMS is intended to be used as a tool to inform stakeholders… when addressing zoning and permitting throughout the state. [The NCDEQ] will continue to use the system internally to inform decisions. As noted in its title, this system is designed for communities and community analysis. The [NCDEQ] will continue to engage with the public on educational opportunities to inform and educate the public about the system and will continue to include stakeholders in ongoing development efforts.

Criteria used: Sociodemographics, environmental burdens

Criteria not used: Economic or business

Year: 2019

Source

State EJ Definition: None Found

Note: There is no state-specific definition of environmental justice. However, the state refers to the USEPA definition or Executive Order 12898 (EO12898).

Source

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North Dakota

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: None Found

State EJ Definition: None Found

Note: There is no state-specific definition of environmental justice. However, the state refers to the USEPA definition or Executive Order 12898 (EO12898).

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Ohio

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: None Found

State EJ Definition: None found

Note: There is no state-specific definition of environmental justice. However, the state refers to the USEPA definition or Executive Order 12898 (EO12898).

source

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Oklahoma

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: None Found

State EJ Definition: None Found

Note: There is no state-specific definition of environmental justice. However, the state refers to the USEPA definition or Executive Order 12898 (EO12898).

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Oregon

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: Environmental Justice Communities

Definition: Minority and low-income communities, tribal communities, and other communities traditionally underrepresented in public processes.

Criteria used: Sociodemographics

Criteria not used: Environmental burdens, economic, or business

Year: 2021

Source

State EJ Definition:

Environmental Justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, culture, education or income with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies.

Source

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Pennsylvania

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: Environmental Justice Areas

Definition: For the purposes of the DEP Environmental Justice Public Participation Policy, DEP defines an EJ Area as any census tract where 20 percent or more individuals live at or below the federal poverty line, and/or 30 percent or more of the population identifies as a non-white minority, based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the federal guidelines for poverty.

Criteria used: Sociodemographics

Criteria not used: Environmental burdens, economic, or business

Year: 2018

Legislation: DEP EJ Public Policy

Source

State EJ Definition:

Environmental justice embodies the principles that communities and populations should not be disproportionally exposed to adverse environmental impacts… all Pennsylvanians, especially those that have typically been disenfranchised, [must be] meaningfully involved in the decisions that affect their environment and that all communities are not unjustly and/or disproportionally burden with adverse environmental impacts. Simply put, environmental justice ensures that everyone has an equal seat at the table.

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Rhode Island

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: Environmental Justice Area

Definition: EJ Area delineation is derived from EPA New England’s Potential Environmental Justice (EJ Areas) are based on the 2000 Census Block Group Boundary layer. The methodology used to determine how the areas are coded involved identifying those block groups with percentages in the top 15% of the region for low-income residents and/or racial minorities. The one significant difference between the RI delineation and the initial EPA delineations is that RI chose block groups with percentages in the top 15% of the STATE for low-income residents and/or racial minorities whereas EPA chose block groups based on their ranking across all of EPA Region 1.

Criteria used: Sociodemographic

Criteria not used: Environmental burdens, economic, or business

Year: 2018

SOURCE

State EJ Definition: None Found

Note: There is no state-specific definition of environmental justice. However, the state refers to the USEPA definition or Executive Order 12898 (EO12898).

Source

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South Carolina

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: None Found

State EJ Definition:

The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of people of all races, cultures and income with respect to the development, adoption, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies in working towards increasing prosperity of all South Carolinians. (Developed by the SC Advisory Council).

Note: South Carolina also refers to the USEPA definition or Executive Order 12898 (EO12898).

Source

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South Dakota

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: None Found

State EJ Definition:None found

Note: A South Dakota state archived website says that the Department of Agriculture & Natural Resources was responsible for EJ from 2018 – 2019, but there is no mention of it now.

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Tennessee

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: None Found

State EJ Definition:

Environmental justice means not only protecting human health and the environment for everyone, but also ensuring that all people are treated fairly and given the opportunity to participate meaningfully in the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies.

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Texas

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: “Groups” based on EO 12898 and Title VI

Definition: Addresses persons belonging to any of the following groups: (i) Black – a person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa; (ii) Hispanic – a person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race; (iii) Asian – a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent; (iv) American Indian and Alaskan Native – a person having origins in any of the original people of North America and who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community recognition (v) Low-Income – a person whose household income (or in the case of a community or group, whose median household income) is at or below the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services poverty guidelines; (vi) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander – a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.

State EJ Definition: None Found

Note: There is no state-specific definition of environmental justice. However, the state refers to the USEPA definition or Executive Order 12898 (EO12898).

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Utah

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: Environmental Justice Communities

Definition: None found. Lots of indicators, but no specific definition.

State EJ Definition: None Found

Note: There is no state-specific definition of environmental justice. However, the state refers to the USEPA definition or Executive Order 12898 (EO12898).

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Vermont

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: Environmentally Distressed Communities

Definition: Informed by using the environmental justice mapping tool established pursuant to section 6004 of this title. These communities shall be identified based on geographic, socioeconomic, demographic, public health, and environmental hazard criteria and may include: (A) areas disproportionately affected by environmental pollution and other hazards that can lead to negative public health effects, exposure, or environmental degradation; and (B) areas with concentrated populations of Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color, individuals who are of low income, high unemployment, low levels of homeownership, limited English proficiency, high rent or energy burden, low transportation, sensitive populations, or low levels of educational attainment.

Criteria used: Sociodemographics, environmental burdens

Criteria not used: Economic or business

Year: 2021

SOURCE

State EJ Definition:

Environmental justice means all individuals are afforded the right to equitable access to environmental benefits; proportionate distribution of environmental burdens; fair and equitable treatment and meaningful participation in decision-making processes and the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies; and recognition of the unique needs of individuals of all race, color, income, class, ability status, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity or ancestry, religious belief, or English language proficiency. Environmental justice redresses structural and institutional racism, colonialism, and other systems of oppression that result in the marginalization, degradation, disinvestment, and neglect of Black, Indigenous, and communities of color. Environmental justice requires prioritizing resources for community revitalization, ecological restoration, resilience planning, and a just recovery to communities most impacted by environmental injustices and natural disasters.

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Virginia

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: Environmental Justice Community

Definition: “Environmental justice community” means any low-income community or community of color.

Criteria used: Sociodemographics

Criteria not used: Environmental burdens, economic, or business

Year: 2020

Term used: Fenceline Community

Definition: “Fenceline community” means an area that contains all or part of a low-income community or community of color and that presents an increased health risk to its residents due to its proximity to a major source of pollution.

Criteria used: Sociodemographics, environmental burdens

Criteria not used: Economic or business

Year: 2020

Source

State EJ Definition:

Environmental justice means the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of every person, regardless of race, color, national origin, income, faith, or disability, regarding the development, implementation, or enforcement of any environmental law, regulation, or policy.

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Washington

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: Highly Impacted Communities

Definition: Highly Impacted Communities means communities designated by 28 state agencies based on the cumulative impact analysis required under 29 section 5 of this act and census tracts that are fully or partially 30 on “Indian country” as defined in 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1151… cumulative impact analysis is based on based on the best science and current demographic data. Designation must be based on analyses of vulnerable populations and environmental burdens conducted by the University of Washington’s department of environmental and occupational health sciences.

Criteria used: Sociodemographic, environmental burdens

Criteria not used: Economic or business

Year: 2019 – 2020

Legislature: SB 5489

Source

State EJ Definition: None Found

Note: There is no state-specific definition of environmental justice. However, the state refers to the USEPA definition or Executive Order 12898 (EO12898).

Source

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West Virginia

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: “Groups” based on EO 12898 and Title VI

Definition: Addresses persons belonging to any of the following groups: (i) Black – a person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa; (ii) Hispanic – a person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race; (iii) Asian – a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent; (iv) American Indian and Alaskan Native – a person having origins in any of the original people of North America and who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community recognition (v) Low-Income – a person whose household income (or in the case of a community or group, whose median household income) is at or below the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services poverty guidelines; (vi) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander – a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.

Criteria used: Sociodemographic

Criteria not used: Environmental burdens, economic, or business

SOURCE

State EJ Definition: None Found

Note: They do not have an official EJ policy, but in the document linked below, they use the EPA/EO12898 definition to discuss EJ.

Source

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Wisconsin

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: “Groups” based on EO 12898 and Title VI

Definition: Addresses persons belonging to any of the following groups: (i) Black – a person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa; (ii) Hispanic – a person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race; (iii) Asian – a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent; (iv) American Indian and Alaskan Native – a person having origins in any of the original people of North America and who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community recognition (v) Low-Income – a person whose household income (or in the case of a community or group, whose median household income) is at or below the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services poverty guidelines; (vi) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander – a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.

Criteria used: Sociodemographic

Criteria not used: Environmental burdens, economic, or business

Source

State EJ Definition: None Found

Note: There is no state-specific definition of environmental justice. However, the state refers to the USEPA definition, Executive Order 12898 (EO12898), and the Federal Transit Administration principles of EJ.

Source

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Wyoming

Community Terms and Definitions

Term used: Environmental Justice Communities

Definition: Wyoming uses the USEPA’s EJSCREEN to help identify EJ communities.

Criteria used: Sociodemographics

Criteria not used: Environmental burdens, economic, or business

Year: 2020

SOURCE

State EJ Definition: None Found

Note: There is no state-specific definition of environmental justice. However, the state refers to the USEPA definition or Executive Order 12898 (EO12898).

Source

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