EPA Region 9 Regional Implementation Plan to Promote Meaningful Engagement of Overburdened Communities in Permitting Activities Updated: May 1, 2013 Disclaimer: This document identifies internal recommended procedures for EPA employees who are staff or managers developing or issuing a permit. This document is not a rule or regulation. This plan does not change or substitute for any law, regulation, or any other legally binding requirement and is not legally enforceable. It does not impose any legally binding requirements. Introduction This EPA Region 9 Regional Implementation Plan to Promote Meaningful Engagement of Overburdened Communities in Permitting Activities describes actions EPA Region 9 can take to promote meaningful engagement of overburdened communities in regional permitting activities.1,2 The Plan EJ 2014 Environmental Justice Permitting Initiative promotes the consideration of environmental justice concerns in the permitting process by: 1) enhancing the ability of overburdened communities to participate fully and meaningfully in the permitting process for EPA-issued permits; and 2) taking steps to address environmental justice issues in the EPA permitting process. 3 Overburdened communities may experience barriers that discourage active participation in the permitting process, such as: lack of trust, awareness or information, limited access to technical and legal resources, and language barriers. The term “overburdened” describes minority, low-income, tribal and indigenous populations or communities in the United States that potentially experience disproportionate environmental harms and risks due to exposures or cumulative impacts or greater vulnerability to environmental hazards. This increased vulnerability may be attributable to an accumulation of negative and lack of positive environmental, health, economic, or social conditions within these populations or communities. Targeting outreach efforts to bring overburdened communities into the permitting process can help reduce barriers to community participation, and consequently help EPA address environmental justice concerns. This plan provides a framework to help Region 9 conduct enhanced public outreach activities for permit applications and renewals, to meaningfully engage overburdened communities or communities with a significant interest in the permitting process. The types of outreach activities as well as the number of permits for which Region 9 would conduct enhanced outreach depend on site-specific considerations and resource availability.
Posted on: Sun, 28 Sep 2014 03:58:37 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015