Mission, Goals, and Objectives

Misson Statement

To achieve equal environmental protection so no segment of the population, regardless of race, ethnicity, culture or income bears an undue burden of environmental pollution and to ensure that the benefits of environmental protection are shared by everyone.

Goals

• Inform and facilitate the public dialogue on issues of environmental justice
  in Region 9
• Provide leadership to mobilize governmental, academia and corporate responses to identified (environmental justice) needs
• Develop state, tribal and local capacity for environmental justice, recognizing these governments have primary responsibility for many decisions affecting land use, community health and welfare
• Incorporate environmental justice into environmental policy and regulatory/enforcement programs
• Organize and deploy EPA resources to prevent and redress environmental justice concerns consistent with Region 9 operating plans.

Objectives

• Assess the real and perceived impact of EPA's environmental protection programs on the distribution of risks in Region 9
• Inventory existing Region 9 programs that directly or indirectly address environmental justice issues.
• Identify new opportunities and initiatives to target policies and programs to redress environmental justice issues
• Encourage and support (and provide financial assistance as available to) state/local/tribal efforts that pilot new approaches or methods for reducing risk to low income and minority communities.
• Expand the opportunities for low-income and minority groups to participate in the development and delivery of environmental programs
• Strive to improve risk assessment methodology to better characterize risk across populations, communities and geographic areas