Environmental Justice

Abstract

The Executive Order directed Federal agencies to develop environmental justice strategies by April 11, 1995, that identify and address disproportionately high exposure and adverse human health or environmental effects on programs, policies, and activities on minority populations and low-income populations. All agency strategies must consider enforcement of statutes in areas of minority populations and low-income populations, greater public participation, improvement of research, and identification of different patterns of subsistence use of natural resources. Based on this analysis, one can conclude that environmental racism is a nonentity. While EPA’s two main points of focus are important considerations, relying on such criteria in the formation of environmental protection policy neglects to account for potential inequalities of capitalism and its effects throughout the policy process. The environmental justice movement is committed to political empowerment as a way to challenge inequities and an injustices.