Environmental Justice

Historically, low-income and minority populations have been disproportionately burdened by pollution and other environmental hazards, partly as a result of being excluded from planning and decision-making processes. Environmental justice refers to ensuring the fair treatment and involvement of all residents during the development and implementation of policies, programs, projects, laws and regulations that affect the environment and human health. Environmental justice issues continue to be a major concern in the North Jersey region. There are numerous, predominately low-income and minority neighborhoods, especially in the northeast corner of the region, that are severely burdened by the cumulative impacts of multiple sources of air pollution generated by automobile and truck traffic and industrial facilities. Environmental justice populations are especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The TNJ Fair Housing and Equity Assessment identifies a number of environmental justice issues impacting the region.

Local governments have a responsibility to actively engage disadvantaged populations in planning efforts and decision-making and ensure the benefits of sustainability are equitably distributed. Communities should see sustainability planning as an opportunity to reduce disparities in environmental and human health impacts not only locally, but regionally and expand economic opportunities for residents of all backgrounds.

Related TNJ Plan Focus Areas

  • Focus Area 10: Enhance the resiliency of the region’s communities and infrastructure

  • Focus Area 12: Improve health outcomes for our region’s residents

Social and cultural differences and mistrust of government are potential barriers to open and inclusive participation. Counties and municipalities should tailor outreach activities to be appropriate for the particular environmental justice populations present. Taking outreach to the people, such as setting up a booth at a community event, is more effective than depending on residents to attend public meetings at the municipal building. Local organizations can be valuable assets in bringing residents to the table as they have established relationships in the community and are seen as trusted partners. Counties and municipalities should allocate resources to residents, community organizations and other non-profits to ensure their effective participation in planning and plan implementation. Whatever approaches are taken, local governments should be aware that it sometimes takes time and continued communication to meaningfully engage environmental justice communities.

Municipalities should incorporate environmental and human health assessments into local land use ordinances, including cumulative impact provisions that prevent a community from hosting a disproportionate number of polluting projects. Another tool is a Health Impact Assessment (HIA), which is a process that helps evaluate the potential positive and negative health effects of a plan, project, or policy before it is implemented. Community members should be made aware of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process for federal actions (such as the construction of a road with federal funding). Under NEPA, the federal government must disclose potential impacts on the environment and human health. Certain NEPA processes require an analysis and disclosure of disproportionate impacts on environmental justice populations.

Flooding, storm events and other climate change impacts have hit low-income and other vulnerable populations especially hard, due to location, limited personal resources, and lack of public investment. Local governments should understand how the effects of climate change impact different population groups and allocate resources accordingly. For example, the elderly and people with disabilities may have difficulty evacuating due to limited mobility. People with limited English proficiency may have limited access to information. In the aftermath of natural disaster, displaced, low-income households may struggle to find or afford new housing, while members of minority groups may face the additional barrier of housing discrimination.

There are a host of actions a community can take to reduce air pollution in disproportionately burdened areas, including local enforcement of state anti-idling law for diesel trucks, rerouting trucks to avoid pollution hotspots, planting street trees and other green infrastructure, installing green walls and berms in neighborhoods along major roadways, and working with local institutions and facilities to switch to green fleets.

Explore resources available to help your community incorporate Environmental Justice into sustainability and resilience planning.

Guidance & Technical Assistance
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