Environmental Justice

Environmental justice means the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income when developing, implementing and enforcing environmental laws, regulations and policies. Fair treatment means that no group of people, including a racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic group, should bear more than its share of negative environmental impacts.

Environmental Justice issues concern the potential for higher environmental exposures and related human health problems in lower income and minority communities. These focus on quality-of-life issues such as pollution from clustered industrial facilities, traffic, landfills, transfer stations, and lack of open space and waterfront access. The rates of some diseases and health conditions are also higher in low-income and minority communities, which can be subject to other factors that can affect health, such as poor housing conditions and limited access to doctors and health clinics. Growing evidence suggests that environmental factors can influence certain diseases, such as asthma.

The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) established its Environmental Justice Program in 1999, to address the environmental concerns of low-income and minority communities. In 2003, NYSDEC released its Environmental Justice Policy. One of its key objectives is to promote more involvement of low-income and minority communities in NYSDEC's permitting and project review processes.

NYSDOH has been participating on the Environmental Justice Program's Health Outcome Data Work Group, which identified reliable sources of health data and ways that NYSDEC could use these data in the permitting and project review process. The Health Outcome Data Work Group's Report recommends identifying data for diseases and health conditions of concern in low-income and minority communities, such as asthma hospitalizations and percentage of infants born with low birth weight.

The Work Group Report further recommends that health data be considered by NYSDEC along with other factors when reviewing a permit for a facility that falls under the policy and would affect a low income or minority community.

NYSDOH is working with NYSDEC to implement the report recommendations and on other projects to address environmental justice issues.