Environmental justice has become an integral part of the fight to protect the
environment. According to the EPA “Environmental justice is the fair treatment and
meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or
income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of
environmental laws, regulations, and policies.”
An important part of protecting populations that are more vulnerable to pollution and the
impacts of climate change and environmental degradation is having legal definitions and
protections. Recently, the EPA published definitions for the terms “cumulative impacts”
and “cumulative impact assessment.”
According to Babst and Calland Attorneys at Law: “cumulative impacts are defined as
‘the totality of the exposures to combinations of chemical and non-chemical stressors
and their effects on health, well-being and quality of life outcomes.’ A cumulative impact
assessment is ‘a process of evaluating both quantitative and qualitative data
representing cumulative impacts to inform a decision.’”
Why are legal definitions of terms such as these so important? Established legal
definitions for terms such as “cumulative impacts” are vital for vulnerable populations to
be able to defend themselves against unfair burdens of environmental degradation.
Moreover, agencies that distribute permits will have clear guidelines to evaluate how
specific permitting may impact nearby residents.
As Babst and Calland explain, the “EPA suggested that, by issuing air permits to two
plastics facilities located close to black communities in an industrial corridor known as
“cancer alley,” the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) and
Department of Health (LDH) were failing to meet their civil rights obligations.”
Continuing to develop definitions and protections for communities ensures that
standards are established to reach the goal of environmental justice. We must work
together to find innovative solutions to pollution and environmental restoration. IX Power
Clean Water is working to mitigate the potential negative consequences of climate
change by relieving stress on water resources. IX Power Clean Water uses innovative
technologies to clean industrial and oil and gas produced wastewater. Then, this clean
water can be reused for agricultural or industrial purposes, or safely reentered into the
environment. For more information on IX’s amazing technology go to
https://ixwater.com/
For the full analysis see: https://www.babstcalland.com/news-article/u-s-epa-publishes-
final-definitions-of-crucial-environmental-justice-terms/
To learn more on environmental justice from the EPA see:
https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice
Environmental Justice
