What is Social/Environmental

Justiceand

Why Should We Care

The American Planning Association Ethical Principles in

Planning (adopted in 1992) Calls all those in planning to

Seek first and foremost the benefit of the public interest when engaged in planning activities

Achieve high standards of integrity and proficiency so that public respect for the planning process will be maintained

Continually strive for personal and professional development within the field

What is Social Justice

The concept of Social Justice seeks to ensure all people have access to the public process. In seeking equity in the participation in the process, advocates take steps to ensure traditionally disenfranchised groups are included, particularly when policies and decisions may directly impact them and their future generations.

What is the Environmental Justice Executive Order?

Executive Order 12898, Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations (1994)

What does the Environmental Justice Executive Order say?

“Each Federal agency shall make achieving environmental justice part of its mission by identifying and addressing, as appropriate, disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects on its programs, policies, and activities on minority populations and low-income populations”

What are the three fundamental Environmental

Justice principles?

To avoid, minimize, or mitigate disproportionately high and adverse human health and environmental effects, including social and economic effects, on minority populations and low-income populations

To ensure the full and fair participation by all potentially affected communities in the decisionmaking process

To prevent the denial of, reduction in, or significant delay in the receipt of benefits by minority and low-income populations

When does the Environmental Justice apply?

When you take the first penny of Federal funds

Who are Environmental Justice populations?

Low-income Middle-income Upper-income

African American

American Indian/ Alaskan Natives

Asian American

Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Hispanics

Whites

Where do low-income populations live?

02468

101214161820

MetroAreas

CentralCities

Suburbs Rural

US Census 2000

Are all minorities low-income?

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

White (NH)BlackHispanicAsian/ PIAI/ ALOther

8.1

24.922.6

12.8

25.724.4

US Census 2000

Are all low-income minorities?

white (nh)blackhispanicasian/ piai/ alother

15.4 million

8.1 million

7.8 million

1.3 million

0.6 million

3.7 million

White (NH)BlackHispanicAsian/ PIAI/ ALOther

US Census 2000

Are we becoming more diverse?

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

Non-HispanicWhite

Hispanic

Non-HispanicMinority

Hispanic and non-Hispanic Minority

US Census 2000

* *

*Hispanics were not broken out as an ethnicity

What laws provide the basis for Environmental Justice?

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, and national origin (minority)

Stafford Act of 1974 which

prohibits discrimination in the distribution of benefits based on income (low-income)

Environmental Justice also comes indirectly from

National Environmental Policy Act (1969) Section 109(h) of Title 23 United States

Code(Federal – Aid Highway Act of 1970)

Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act (1970)

Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), ISTEA and SAFETEA - LU

US DOT and FHWA Orders and other statutes and regulations

What populations are protected by other statues?

Minorities Civil Rights Act (1964) Title VI and EO 12898 (1994)

Low-Income Stafford Act (1974) and EO 12898 (1994)

Limited English Proficiency

EO 13166 (2000)

Elderly Age Discrimination Act (1975)

Disabled Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (1973)

Women Federal-Aid Highway Act (1970)

Children EO 13045

National Origin Civil Rights Act (1964) Title VI

Sex, Religion, Familial Status and others

Civil Rights Act (1968) Title VIII (Fair Housing Act) and Federal-Aid Highway Act (1970)