Environmental Justice Mapping Tools Presentation by & for IC2 Members

For those interested in evaluating Environmental Justice (EJ) concerns at the community or regional level, EPA provides a mapping and data analysis tool called the Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool, or EJSCREEN. EJSCREEN enables risk assessors, regulators, and communities to geographically analyze data pertaining to EJ. It allows the combination of socioeconomic and demographic data with environmental data (including land, water, and air). EJSCREEN itself presents no new data, but rather facilitates the analysis of existing data in a user-friendly format. Chris Greene, Environmental Scientist at the Minnesota Department of Health Contaminants of Emerging Concern program, will give an overview and demonstration of EJSCREEN, and discuss some of its strengths, limitations, and possible applications for practitioners interested in evaluating EJ concerns.

In 2021, Environmental Justice (EJ) was codified into Massachusetts state law.  The statute defined EJ principles and populations in the Commonwealth and directed state agencies in the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) to develop key agency actions and strategies to ensure that all residents can benefit in an equitable and just manner from the laws and policies addressing environmental, energy, and climate issues in Massachusetts.  Kari Sasportas, Outreach & Policy Analyst at the Massachusetts Office of Technical Assistance (OTA), will demonstrate examples of mapping tools that OTA uses to help companies identify their facilities in relation to EJ communities and assist these companies in reducing their use of toxic chemicals and their impact on EJ communities.