Title VI and Environmental Justice

The Definition of Environmental Justice

Environmental Justice (EJ) is “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, sex, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of federal laws, regulations, and policies. In the words of Bunyan Bryant, “Environmental justice is served when people can realize their highest potential.”

EJ AND TITLE VI OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964

The EJ Executive Order signed by President William Jefferson Clinton in 1994, supplements the existing requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Each Federal agency is required to ensure that no person on grounds of race, color, or national origin is excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or in any other way subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal assistance. Accordingly, Title VI prohibits recipients of Federal funds from actions that reflect “intentional discrimination” or that exhibit “adverse disparate impact discrimination” on the basis of race, ethnicity or national origin. Supplemental legislation provides these same protections from discrimination based on sex, age, disability or religion.

EJ AND DECISION MAKING

Environmental Justice is more than a set of legal and regulatory obligations. Properly implemented, environmental justice principles and procedures improve all levels of transportation decision making. This approach will:

Make better decisions that meet the needs of all people. Enhance the public-involvement process, strengthen community-based partnerships, and provide minority and low-income populations with opportunities to learn about and improve the quality and usefulness of their lives.
Improve data collection, monitoring, and analysis tools that assess the needs of, and analyze the potential impacts on minority and low-income populations.
Partner with other public and private programs to leverage agency resources to achieve a common vision for communities.
Avoid disproportionately high and adverse impacts on minority and low-income populations.
Minimize and/or mitigate unavoidable impacts by identifying concerns early in the planning phase and providing offsetting initiatives and enhancement measures to benefit affected communities and neighborhoods.