- Mission [1]
- NEJAC provides independent advice and recommendations to the Agency on matters related to environmental justice. Engaging
stakeholders through the NEJAC supports several goals of EPA’s FY 2011-2015 Strategic Plan: [goal 1] Clean Air and Global
Climate Change; [goal 4] Healthy Communities and Ecosystems; and [goal 5] Compliance and Environmental Stewardship. In addition,
the effort supports the following cross-cutting fundamental strategies which set clear expectations for changing the way EPA
does business in achieving its results: • Expanding the conversation on environmentalism • Working for environmental justice
and children’s health • Advancing science, research, and technological innovation • Strengthening state, tribal, and international
partnerships In FY 2011, NEJAC met three times and produced three letters of advice and reports of recommendations. During
that time, NEJAC advised the Administrator about ensuring long-term community engagement in Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration
and enhancing environmental justice in EPA's permitting program, as well as provided comments to EPA’s Plan EJ 2014.EPA maintains
an ongoing commitment to ensure Environmental Justice for all people, regardless of race, color, national origin, or income.
EPA recognizes that minority and/or low-income communities may be more frequently and disproportionately exposed to environmental
harms and risks. Moreover, EPA believes that ensuring environmental justice means that all people are given the opportunity
to participate meaningfully in the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
Integrating environmental justice considerations into the Agency’s outreach activities, public policies, science, data collection,
regulatory development, and enforcement and compliance decisions is difficult. To address this difficult task, the Agency
has sought input from the various multi-stakeholder entities that comprise the NEJAC. Hence, an external advisory group with
the experience and sensitivity to environmental justice issues is critical to the Agency’s goal of integrating environmental
justice considerations into its policies, programs and activities. As a committee consisting of representatives of academia,
community-based organizations, business and industry, state and local government, non-governmental organizations, and tribal
governments and indigenous organizations, the NEJAC has provided consensus advice to the Agency for creative strategies to
better address the human health and environmental protection needs of all people, including minority and low-income communities,
and to ensure that the goal of Environmental Justice is being integrated in Agency policies, programs, and priorities. The
NEJAC continues to serve as a valuable resource to Agency program and regional offices, several of which sponsor NEJAC work
groups. NEJAC meetings also serve as a forum for public dialogue on ways that other federal agencies, state, local, and tribal
governments, and business and industry can better address environmental justice concerns.
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