Environmental Justice for Permitting in EPA's Pacific Southwest (Region 9)

EPA’s Pacific Southwest (Region 9) implements and enforces federal environmental laws in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, the Pacific Islands, and 148 Tribal Nations.

EPA has issued three documents outlining the first steps EPA is taking to consider environmental justice and to engage overburdened communities in the permitting process.

The first document is Considering Environmental Justice in Permitting, which identifies activities and approaches to promote public involvement by overburdened communities in the permitting process, particularly for major permitted activities that may significantly impact these communities.

The second document is Supporting Community-Based Action Programs EPA Actions, which analyzes the availability of EPA resources in overburdened communities and discusses how these resources can best be utilized.

The third document is Promising Practices for Permit Applicants, which encourages permit applicants operating or proposing to operate facilities in overburden communities to strategically plan and conduct enhanced outreach during the permitting process.

In addition to these documents, EPA Pacific Southwest (Region 9) has developed an implementation plan to explain how it will encourage meaningful engagement of such communities on EPA-issued permits:

• EPA Region 9 Regional Implementation Plan to Promote Meaningful Engagement of Overburdened Communities in Permitting Activities (pdf) (245.91 KB, May 1, 2013)
  This plan provides a framework to help Region 9 conduct enhanced public outreach activities for permit applications and renewals, to meaningfully engage overburdened communities or communities with a significant interest in the permitting process.