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Environmental Justice
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Equity Action Plan

About EO 13985

Executive Order 13985 pursues a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all, including people of color and others who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality. Because advancing equity requires a systematic approach to embedding fairness in decision-making processes, executive departments and agencies (agencies) must recognize and work to redress inequities in their policies and programs that serve as barriers to equal opportunity.  

The Environmental Protection Agency's Equity Action Plan fulfills President Biden’s Executive Order (EO) 13985 directing EPA, along with other federal agencies, to assess whether underserved communities and their members face systemic barriers in accessing benefits and opportunities through the federal government. 

The plan aligns with the Agency’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-2026 EPA Strategic Plan, announced March 28, 2022, and outlines six priority actions:

  • Develop a comprehensive framework for considering cumulative impacts in relevant EPA decisions and operationalize that framework in EPA’s programs and activities.
  • Build the capacity of underserved communities to provide their experience to EPA and implement community-led projects.
  • Develop EPA’s internal capacity to engage underserved communities and implement clear and accountable processes to act based on communities’ input.
  • Strengthen EPA’s external civil rights compliance program and ensure that civil rights compliance is an agency-wide responsibility.
  • Integrate participatory (community) science into EPA’s research and program implementation.
  • Make EPA’s procurement and contracting more equitable.

EPA’s Equity Action Plan carries forward our work to break through barriers and advance equity and justice across our efforts to ensure clean water, air, and land for all communities. 

  • EPA Equity Action Plan (pdf) (April 2022)

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Last updated on April 14, 2022