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OAQPS EJ Program. March 16, 2010. Changing EJ Priority in the Agency. Lisa Jackson identified EJ as a priority “Expanding the Conversation on Environmentalism and Working with Environmental Justice” Provided and expanded budget to include funding efforts in under-served communities
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OAQPS EJ Program March 16, 2010
Changing EJ Priority in the Agency • Lisa Jackson identified EJ as a priority • “Expanding the Conversation on Environmentalism and Working with Environmental Justice” • Provided and expanded budget to include funding efforts in under-served communities • Appointed Lisa Garcia as a Special Assistant on EJ Issues
Current Movement • EO 12898 • Administrator’s memo 9-11-09 • OEJ’s FAR questions on EJ • Revisions to EJ-related tiering questions • Cross-agency workgroup on EJ and rulemaking to develop guidance • Definition of EJ emphasizing low income, minority and Tribal populations • Deployed the “Rule Gateway”
Recent OAQPS Activities Related to EJ Program • Rulemaking • Outreach to communities/communication • Internal capacity building
Increased Emphasis on Integrating EJ into Rulemaking • 5 rules selected to pilot demographic or EJ analyses • New teams formed to guide the work • Policy team • Technical team • New teams supplement work of rulemaking workgroups
Cross-Agency EJ Work on Rulemaking and Analysis • EJ Executive Steering Committee established 2 teams to write guidance on integrating EJ into action development • “Process” guidance answers: • what questions to ask • who needs to be engaged • when questions should be asked • “Technical” guidance answer questions of how to structure the analysis to answer questions relevant to EJ concerns
Outreach and Communication • EJ and Air Conference in New Orleans (January 2010) • Very well received • Administrator and several AA’s attended • Around 500 attendees • Co-sponsored by NIEHS and Dillard University • Will schedule another conference in FY 2011
Outreach and Communication • Developing overall communication strategy for EJ issues • Developing plans for targeted outreach for the 5 pilot rules • Plan to also: • improve EJAir website • conduct regular conference calls with communities • develop a newsletter for EJ communities
EJ Community Efforts • On Going Communities for A Renewed Environment (CARE) • School Air Toxics Effort with the NEJAC • 2011 Proposed President’s Budget includes a community air toxics effort • Community air toxics monitoring • Individual communities raising issues on permitting, source citing and operations
Internal Capacity Building on EJ • Symposium on Disproportionate Impacts • Plan to work with rule writers • Plan to continue offering EJ courses
What Does This Mean for You? • EPA HQ and Regional Offices will be paying more attention to EJ issues • You will see more emphasis from the Agency to work with EJ communities • You will see more communities raising issues • Question to you, what do you need to help you be more prepared to work with EJ issues?