Environmental Justice – Above Green

(1 point)

Intent

To address conditions that may lead to neighborhoods or populations being overburdened by environmental pollutants.

Requirements

CITIES, COMMUNITIES

Demonstrate progress in reducing the risks and exposure to priority environmental justice conditions for priority areas in the last 5 years.

Identify the priority environmental justice conditions. Priority environmental justice conditions are considered when a specific section of the community such as women and/or children, low-income groups, specific neighborhoods or sociocultural groups experience a disproportionate amount of human health or environmental effect, such as:
- Bodily impairment, infirmity, illness or death
- Air, noise, and water pollution and soil contamination
- Destruction or disruption of man-made or natural resources
- Destruction or disruption of community cohesion or a community’s economic vitality
- Destruction or disruption of the availability of public and private facilities and services
- Displacement of persons, businesses, farms, or nonprofit organizations
- Isolation, exclusion, or separation from the broader community

The scope of environmental justice includes not only the disparate impacts from degradation to the natural environment, but impacts to the general environment that people live and work in as well.

Identify the priority areas. Priority areas must be identified based on evaluating the following:
- Sections with the highest percentage of historically overburdened populations
- Areas known to have the highest concentration of environmental pollutants or polluters
- Areas identified through substantial community engagement or complaints surrounding environmental justice conditions
- Areas currently in violation of state environmental regulations or where violations have been resolved within the last 3 years

Reference: STAR v2 EE-3: Environmental Justice