1. What is
Social/Environmental Justice
and
Why Should We Care

2. The American Planning Association
Ethical Principles in Planning
(adopted in 1992)
 Calls all those in planning to
 Seek first and foremost the benefit of the
public interest when engaged in planning
activities
 Achieve high standards of integrity and
proficiency so that public respect for the
planning process will be maintained
 Continually strive for personal and
professional development within the field

3. What is Social Justice
The concept of Social Justice seeks to
ensure all people have access to the
public process. In seeking equity in the
participation in the process, advocates
take steps to ensure traditionally
disenfranchised groups are included,
particularly when policies and decisions
may directly impact them and their future
generations.

4. What is the Environmental Justice
Executive Order?
Executive Order 12898, Federal Actions to
Address Environmental Justice in Minority
Populations and Low-Income Populations
(1994)

5. What does the Environmental
Justice Executive Order say?
“Each Federal agency shall make achieving
environmental justice part of its mission by
identifying and addressing, as
appropriate, disproportionately high
and adverse human health or
environmental effects on its
programs, policies, and activities on
minority populations and low-income
populations”

6. What are the three fundamental
Environmental Justice
principles?
To avoid, minimize, or mitigate
disproportionately high and adverse
human health and environmental
effects, including social and economic
effects, on minority populations and low-
income populations

7. To ensure the full and fair participation
by all potentially affected communities
in the decisionmaking process
To prevent the denial of, reduction in, or
significant delay in the receipt of
benefits by minority and low-income
populations

8. When does the Environmental
Justice apply?
 When you take the first penny of Federal
funds

9. Who are Environmental Justice
populations?
Low-income Middle-income Upper-income
African American
American Indian/
Alaskan Natives
Asian American
Native
Hawaiians/Pacific
Islanders
Hispanics
Whites

10. Where do low-income
populations live?
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
Metro
Areas
Central
Cities
Suburbs Rural
US Census 2000

11. Are all minorities low-income?
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
White (NH)
Black
Hispanic
Asian/PI
AI/AL
Other
8.1
24.9
22.6
12.8
25.7
24.4
US Census 2000

12. Are all low-income minorities?
white (nh)
black
hispanic
asian/pi
ai/al
other
15.4 million
8.1 million
7.8 million
1.3 million
0.6 million
3.7 million
White (NH)
Black
Hispanic
Asian/PI
AI/AL
Other
US Census 2000

13. Are we becoming more diverse?
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
Non-Hispanic
White
Hispanic
Non-Hispanic
Minority
Hispanic and non-
Hispanic Minority
US Census 2000
* *
*Hispanics were not broken out as an ethnicity

14. What laws provide the basis for
Environmental Justice?
 Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
which prohibits discrimination based
on race, color, and national origin
(minority)
 Stafford Act of 1974 which prohibits
discrimination in the distribution of
benefits based on income (low-
income)

15. Environmental Justice also comes
indirectly from
 National Environmental Policy Act (1969)
 Section 109(h) of Title 23 United States Code
(Federal – Aid Highway Act of 1970)
 Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real
Property Acquisition Policies Act (1970)
 Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century
(TEA-21), ISTEA and SAFETEA - LU
 US DOT and FHWA Orders and other statutes
and regulations

16. What populations are protected
by other statues?
Minorities Civil Rights Act (1964) Title VI and
EO 12898 (1994)
Low-Income Stafford Act (1974) and EO 12898 (1994)
Limited English Proficiency EO 13166 (2000)
Elderly Age Discrimination Act (1975)
Disabled Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) and
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (1973)
Women Federal-Aid Highway Act (1970)
Children EO 13045
National Origin Civil Rights Act (1964) Title VI
Sex, Religion, Familial Status
and others
Civil Rights Act (1968) Title VIII (Fair Housing
Act) and Federal-Aid Highway Act (1970)