FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 22, 2018
Contact: Athena Motavvef, 202-548-4585, athena@weact.org
Washington, DC — The Environmental Justice Forum on Climate Change (EJ Forum) announces the release of its Environmental Justice Analysis document, “Cleaner Air, Cleaner Communities,” which was developed in order to provide community-based organizations and state and local governments guidance in the form of a 6-step process to incorporate environmental justice into Clean Air Act State Implementation Plans (SIPs). The Clean Air Act SIP is a plan required under Section 109 of the Clean Air Act which details how each state plans to reduce criteria air pollutants in order to meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The guidance document on the SIP process offers an opportunity for communities to engage on clean air policy and enforcement.
People of color and low-income residents are more likely to live close to sources of pollution, resulting in unequal health outcomes. Nationwide, communities of color breathe in over 40% more dirtier air than white communities. The higher rates of exposure worsen cardiovascular and respiratory diseases such as asthma, leading to increased emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and premature death. We encourage communities to use this guidance document as a tool to ensure state and local environmental agencies address the unequal health impacts in their communities.
The guidance document contains information related to:
- Showcasing case studies in innovation
- Developing inclusive and meaningful stakeholder engagement
- Collecting community feedback
- Expanding evaluation criteria
- Leveraging points in the compliance process
“The Environmental Justice Analysis Guidance document serves a very important role as EPA focuses, under its ‘Collateral Federalism’ concept, on placing oversight of environmental protections in the states. From an environmental perspective, this guidance document ensures that state and local environmental agencies engage with all stakeholders – particularly vulnerable populations, in any actions it plans, as they will invariably impact residents.” said Dr. Adrienne Hollis, WE ACT’s Director of Federal Policy.
To view and download the report, please visit: https://www.weact.org/cleaner-air-cleaner-communities/
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WE ACT for Environmental Justice is a Northern Manhattan membership-based organization whose mission is to build healthy communities by ensuring that people of color and/or low income residents participate meaningfully in the creation of sound and fair environmental health and protection policies and practices. WE ACT has offices in Harlem, NYC and Washington, DC. Visit us at www.weact.org and follow us on Twitter @weact4ej.