environmental justice: from planning to project ohio planning conference july 16, 2014
TRANSCRIPT
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE:FROM PLANNING TO PROJECTOhio Planning ConferenceJuly 16, 2014
What is Environmental Justice?Executive Order 12898 signed in 1994 states:
“Each Federal agency shall make achieving environmental justice part of its mission by identifying and addressing, as appropriate, disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of its programs, policies, and activities on minority populations and low-income populations.” Includes any program or activity for which federal
funds will be used
Also must comply with: FHWA Order 6640.23A
DOT Order 5610.2(a)
What is Environmental Justice? The three basic principles:
Ensure low-income and minority groups are included in public involvement and decision making.
Prevent disproportionately high and adverse impacts on low-income and minority groups.
Assure low-income and minority groups receive a proportionate share of the benefits.
What is an impact?
Disproportionately High and Adverse Effect:
Predominantly borne by a minority or low-income population
Impacts are appreciably more severe for minority/low-income populations than for other populations
Access Ohio 2040 (Statewide Long
Range Plan)MPO Long Range Plan
ODOT STIP
MPO TIP
NEPA Environmental
Document
Long Range Plan Impacts
Project Level Impacts
Program Impacts
Statistical Analysis
Specific Impacts Analysis
MPO’s Responsibility
MPO’s Long Range Plans (LRP) and Transportation Improvement Programs
(TIP) must consider effects on EJ populations
Metropolitan Planning Organizations in Ohio
MPO’s Responsibility
When federal funds are involved: Required to make a meaningful effort to
involve low-income and minority populations in the decision-making process
Must consider the effects of the transportation planning process, regional transportation plan, and TIP on “target populations”
MPOs have their own policies, procedures, and methods for compliance
MPO’s Responsibility
Three main areas to consider:
Public Involvement inclusive of EJ populations
Will program have a disproportionately high and adverse impact on EJ populations?
Will EJ populations receive a proportionate share of the benefits of the program?
ODOT’s Responsibility in Planning
ODOT’s LRP (Access Ohio 2040) and Statewide Transportation Improvement
Programs (STIP) must consider effects on EJ populations
ODOT’s Responsibility in Planning
The LRP and STIP must consider the effects of the program on EJ populations
Meaningful effort to involve EJ populations in decision-making
Evaluate the favorable and adverse impacts upon EJ populations
Access Ohio 2040 (Statewide Long
Range Plan)MPO Long Range Plan
ODOT STIP
MPO TIP
NEPA Environmental
Document
Long Range Plan Impacts
Project Level Impacts
Program Impacts
Statistical Analysis
Specific Impacts Analysis
ODOT’s Responsibility for Projects Ensure that ODOT’s projects do not have a
disproportionately high and adverse impact on EJ populations
Ensure that low-income and minority populations are given an opportunity to participate in public involvement and decision-making
Accomplished through secondary source review (US Census Data), stakeholder involvement, and public involvement
ODOT’s NEPA EJ Guidance
Developed in consultation with FHWA in 2012.
Revised most recently in 2014.
Rolled into Online CE and incorporated into Environmental Assessment/Environmental Impact Statement
ODOT’s EJ Guidance
Step 1: Identify EJ populations
Use Blockgroup data from US Environmental Protection Agency’s Online EJ View tool to identify EJ populations in the project/study area
ODOT’s EJ Guidance
Step 1: 40% threshold
If no blockgroups with greater than 40% minority or low income no further work is required.
Document in environmental document.
If there are blockgroups with greater than 40% minority and/or low income, proceed to Step 2.
ODOT’s EJ Guidance
Step 2: Identify potential for impact
Four main question topics to assess potential for adverse impacts: Relocations—business and residential Changes in access EJ issues raised during Public Involvement Other unique factors
Depending on the answers an Environmental Justice Analysis Report may be required.
ODOT’s EJ Guidance
Step 3: Environmental Justice Analysis Report If further analysis is needed to determine
the impact to EJ populations, an EJ Analysis Report is required.
Examines impacts to EJ populations Examines benefits to EJ populations Discusses PI activities and results Avoidance, minimization, and mitigation
measures Provides determination of whether there are
disproportionately high and adverse effects
From Planning to Project
Evaluate impacts of the program
Use high level data (census tract, TAZ, county, etc.)
Use statistical analysis to determine impacts
Evaluate impacts of specific project
Use lower level data (Blockgroup)
More subjective analysis of project impacts on specific groups
Planning (MPO and ODOT)
Project (Environmental Process)
Improving the Process
Goal: Eliminate redundant work and pull in earlier work when possible
Possibilities: Shared GIS system with census data layer in
which planners and environmental staff can plot their information?
Would facilitate pulling early level planning information into later environmental work.
Ability to look at higher level information or focus down on a specific area or project within one base map.
Improving the Process
Possibilities: Share information from Planning level Public
Involvement Were specific EJ communities the subject of targeted
outreach? If so, where, who, and how?
Were any EJ-related comments received during the PI process? If so, are any of those comments relevant to a
specific project? How were they addressed? Is there anything we should consider during project
development?
Improving the Process
Possibilities:
What ideas do you have?