Pacific Southwest, Region 9
Serving: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Pacific Islands, Tribal Nations
Environmental Justice
National Information
EPA's National Environmental Justice Home Page
Office of Environmental
Justice National Hotline
(800) 962-6215
Faces of the Grassroots: Environmental Justice Video Contest
EJ Resource Guide (PDF)
(20 pp, 1.3MB, About PDF)
EJ Resource Guide (formatted booklet for printing) (PDF) (20 pp, 1.4MB)
To properly print this guide as a booklet, please edit your printer's duplexing properties to "flip pages up" or "flip on short edge."
“The quality of your environment cannot be dependent on the color of your skin, the size of your bank account, whether you were born on tribal lands... Environmental justice cannot be an afterthought -- it must be central to how we think and what we do so that we can offer meaningful assistance to communities that have been left behind.”
"We have begun a new era of outreach and protection for communities historically underrepresented in EPA decision-making. We are building strong working relationships with tribes, communities of color, economically distressed cities and towns, young people and others, but this is just a start. We must include environmental justice principles in all of our decisions."
Minority and low-income communities are often disproportionately exposed to pollution. EPA Region 9 supports programs and projects to help address these adverse and disproportionate effects. On this Web site, you will find examples of the ways communities have used EPA funding to increase their capacity to improve their local environment. We have also provided a list of tools and resources that may be useful to EJ organizations and residents.You may also want to join our listserve to receive occasional announcements about funding opportunities, conferences, or environmental justice news.
Recent Updates
May is Asthma Awareness Month!
Asthma is a serious, sometimes life-threatening chronic respiratory disease that affects an estimated 25.7 million people, including over 7 million children, in the U.S. Last year, almost 13 million people reported having an asthma attack. Asthma leads to nearly 2 million emergency room visits per year, and is the third leading cause of hospitalization of children under 15 years old. There is no cure for asthma, but asthma can be controlled through medical treatment and management of environmental triggers. Please visit the EPA’s asthma website to learn more about asthma and what you can do to bring your asthma or your child’s asthma under control.
What in the World Triggers Asthma? What Every School Should Know Webinar – May 15, 1 – 2 p.m. PST
Please join the What in the World Triggers Asthma Webinar on May 15th from 1 – 2 p.m. PST to learn about asthma triggers, how to prevent or avoid them, and what resources are available to educate yourself and others on how to take action to reduce asthma attacked. Please see the flier (PDF) (1 pg, 1.0M) for more information. Please register for the webinar.
EPA Environmental Justice Community Outreach Call – May 16, 2012 at 6 p.m. EST
EPA invites environmental justice advocates to participate in the next Quarterly Environmental Justice Community Outreach Call on May 16, 2012, at 6 p.m. EST. The purpose of these calls is to provide information to participants about the EPA’s environmental justice activities, and maintain an open dialogue with environmental justice advocates. Call-in information for the May 16th call, as well as information on previous calls, is available.
Proposals for the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program Due June 4, 2012
EPA’s National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program released a Request for Proposals (EPA-OAR-OTAQ-12-05 (PDF) (55 pp, 500K) for projects that achieve significant reductions in diesel emissions in terms of tons of pollution produced by diesel engines and diesel emissions exposure. States, tribes, local governments, and non-profits are eligible to apply. Proposals must be submitted to EPA no later than 4 p.m. EST on June 4, 2012. Please see the EPA National Clean Diesel Campaign website and the Request for Proposals (PDF) (55 pp, 500K) for further information.
Public Comments on the Draft Supplement: Advancing Environmental Justice Through Title VI of the Civil Rights Act Due June 19, 2012
The EPA has released a draft supplement to Plan EJ 2014 for advancing environmental justice through Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The draft focuses on Title VI and its integration with Plan EJ 2014. The EPA is asking the public to comment on the draft supplement to Plan EJ 2014. To view and provide comments on the draft supplement, please visit EPA's Plan EJ 2014 website. Comments are due no later than 11:59 p.m. on Monday, June 19, 2012.
The Environmental Justice in Action Blog
The EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice officially launched its new Environmental Justice in Action Blog. The blog will feature stories on advances in environmental justice across the country. You can visit the blog. Posts will be added every Thursday at 10 a.m. EST.
EPA Grant Competition Forecast for Calendar Year 2012
EPA has made it easier for communities to access our community-based grant resources. For the first time, a calendar of 2012 grant opportunities that may be of particular interest to communities has been made available.
Plan EJ 2014: EJ Legal Tools
As part of Plan EJ 2014 (PDF) (189 pp, 2.3MB), EPA released EJ Legal Tools (PDF) (120 pp, 1.1MB) - a review of legal authorities under the environmental statutes administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that may have application in the effort to advance environmental justice under the Agency’s overarching strategy for advancing environmental justice.
Environmental Justice Showcase Community
The Los Angeles Environmental Enforcement Collaborative is Region 9's Environmental Justice Showcase Community. The densely populated communities closest to the I-710 freeway in Los Angeles County are severely impacted by pollution from goods movement and industrial activity. In a multiyear effort, a unique collaboration of federal, state, and local governments and nonprofit organizations will work together to improve the environmental and public health conditions for residents along this corridor.
Contact Information
Deldi Reyes (Reyes.Deldi@epa.gov)
Environmental Justice Program Manager
(415) 972-3795
Additional Contacts
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