What is Environmental Justice (EJ)?

Environmental justice is a form of justice whose fundamental purpose is to ensure the fair treatment to all citizens in terms of the environment.

The EPA’s definition of EJ: “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.”

The EJ Movement

Three terms are used interchangeablely to identify this environmental movement: environmental equity, environmental racism, and environmental justice.

The environmental justice movement evolved in the 1980s on a national level as a result of frustration from low-income communities and communities of color in terms of how environmental protection affected and still affect their livelihood. The EJ movement literally launched with the protests of Warren County, North Carolina residents against PCB landfill siting in their community.

Executive Order 12898

On February 11, 1994, President William Clinton signed an executive order that required federal actions to address environmental justice in minority populations and low-income populations. The order states that federal programs and policies should not produce disproportionately high and adverse impacts on minority and low-income populations.

Purpose of Environmental Regulation

Robert Bullard, leading expert in EJ, recognizes that the United States environmental policies are designed to “manage, regulate, and distribute risks” among various communities. It is a major problem when certain communities are particularly intentionally or unintentionally targeted to the exposure of environmental risks, such as unsafe drinking water, poor air quality, and contact with toxic wastes.

EJ Timeline

An EJ timeline can be found here: http://www.nesl.edu/csr/projects/ejtimeline.htm

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