Environmental Justice Cumulative Impacts Act

Presented By Imani Bakari

This Movement Is Currently
In The Fundraising Stage.

THE CUMULATIVE IMPACT CRISIS

Communities of color and low-income neighborhoods face disproportionate environmental burdens through the combined effect of multiple pollution sources—a reality current environmental regulation fails to address:

• People of color experience 28% higher particulate matter exposure than white residents
• 70% of hazardous waste facilities located in low-income communities and communities of color
• Current regulation evaluates each pollution source in isolation rather than cumulatively
• Heavily impacted communities often have 5+ major pollution sources within small geographic areas
• Cancer risk from air toxics 20-50% higher in environmental justice communities
• Asthma rates 2-3x higher in heavily burdened neighborhoods
• Current permitting processes ignore existing burden when adding new facilities
• Limited legal remedies available for addressing disparate impacts
• Technical complexity creates barriers to community participation in decisions
• Fragmented regulatory authority prevents comprehensive approaches

Despite mounting evidence of concentrated environmental burden, regulatory systems continue permitting additional pollution sources in already overburdened communities.

OUR COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE SOLUTION

Our proposed legislation would establish:

1. CUMULATIVE IMPACT ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENTS

• Mandatory evaluation of existing pollution burden before new permits
• Consideration of multiple exposure pathways affecting communities
• Integration of health vulnerability factors in impact assessment
• Standardized methodology ensuring consistent evaluation
• Incorporation of non-chemical stressors in health impact analysis
• Rigorous data collection requirements in environmental justice communities
• Regular community-wide reassessment of cumulative burdens
• Transparent reporting making data accessible to residents
• Technical assistance ensuring meaningful community participation
• Integration of cumulative impacts across regulatory programs

2. HEALTH-PROTECTIVE STANDARDS FOR OVERBURDENED COMMUNITIES

• Enhanced pollution controls in areas with high cumulative impacts
• Stricter permit requirements for new or expanded facilities
• Mandatory emission reduction plans for existing sources
• Buffer zone requirements between pollution sources and sensitive uses
• Prohibition on certain facility types in already burdened areas
• Regular health monitoring in heavily impacted communities
• Accelerated cleanup timelines for legacy contamination
• Enhanced enforcement in environmental justice communities
• Permit denial authority based on cumulative burden
• Ongoing assessment of health outcomes and regulatory effectiveness

3. MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION MECHANISMS

• Early notification requirements for affected communities
• Multilingual outreach ensuring inclusive participation
• Community impact statement requirements in decision processes
• Technical assistance grants supporting informed engagement
• Extended comment periods in environmental justice communities
• Alternate meeting times accommodating working residents
• Transportation and childcare support enabling participation
• Community representation on decision-making bodies
• Regular reporting back on how input influenced decisions
• Capacity building support for community-based organizations

4. LEGAL REMEDIES & ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS

• Private right of action for disparate impact claims
• Environmental justice considerations in penalty assessments
• Enhanced inspection frequency in burdened communities
• Community monitoring grants generating enforcement evidence
• Intervention rights in permitting and enforcement proceedings
• Defined remedies for cumulative impact violations
• Whistleblower protections for environmental violations
• Environmental justice requirements in settlement agreements
• Attorney fee provisions enabling community representation
• Supplemental environmental projects benefiting affected areas

5. INVESTMENT & REVITALIZATION PROGRAMS

• Pollution reduction grants targeting overburdened communities
• Green infrastructure development in environmental justice areas
• Health clinic funding in high-exposure neighborhoods
• Job training in environmental remediation and monitoring
• Community benefit agreements for new development
• Relocation assistance when remediation impossible
• Home improvement grants for exposure reduction
• Toxics use reduction technical assistance
• Green business development in affected communities
• Targeted enforcement revenue reinvestment

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY

The legislation would establish an Office of Environmental Justice Compliance within EPA with $200 million in annual funding. Implementation would prioritize:

• Communities with highest documented cumulative impacts
• Areas with clear evidence of health disparities
• Communities facing imminent permitting decisions
• Transferable models demonstrating effective approaches
• Regular stakeholder engagement throughout implementation
• Technical assistance supporting community participation
• Data-driven decision making ensuring objectivity
• Coordination across federal, state, and local authorities
• Regular assessment of implementation effectiveness
• Continuous improvement based on community feedback

Our coalition includes environmental justice organizations, public health experts, civil rights groups, faith communities, and health professionals committed to addressing the systematic environmental inequality facing low-income communities and communities of color.

Your support will help create the regulatory framework needed to address cumulative environmental impacts—fundamentally reforming a system that has allowed pollution to concentrate in vulnerable communities by recognizing that environmental protection must consider the total burden communities face, not just facility-by-facility impacts in isolation.