Biden EPA Starting To Make Environmental Justice Goals Concrete

According to the EPA, 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."

Importantly, environmental justice concerns are not new. For example, in February 1994, President Clinton signed Executive Order 12898 entitled "Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations." Pursuant to EO 12898, "each Federal agency shall make achieving environmental justice part of its mission."

Despite decades of awareness of environmental justice issues, both federal and state governments have struggled to identify concrete action to address the reality of persistent disproportionate impacts from environmental stressors.