Environmental health and justice ensures fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income in the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. This principle addresses disproportionate environmental burdens on marginalized and low-income communities, promoting equal protection from hazards like pollution and toxic exposures.
Key Environmental Challenges
Communities often face uneven risks, such as lead poisoning prevention efforts to keep families safe in older housing or legacy contamination from past activities. Federal agencies use tools like the Environmental Justice Index to measure cumulative impacts on health, identifying high-risk areas for targeted action and accountability.
Federal Response and Cleanup
Government initiatives focus on remediation, including cleaning up America’s toxic military legacy at contaminated bases. These efforts restore sites, involve communities in decision-making, and ensure access to healthy environments for living, working, and recreation.
An Independent Team to Decode Government
GovFacts is a nonpartisan site focused on making government concepts and policies easier to understand — and programs easier to access.
Our articles are referenced by .gov and .mil websites as well as trusted think tanks and publications including Brookings, CNN, Forbes, Fox News, Pew Research, Snopes, The Hill, and USA Today.
