Environmental and Economic Justice
The Middle Rio Grande/Albuquerque Urban Waters Federal Partnership will act in accordance with the environmental justice goals outlined below:
- Ensure people of color, low-income, and native nations are provided with early and ongoing opportunities to engage in meaningful involvement in Partnership decision-making processes.
- In collaboration with partners, identify and support efforts to address environmental and economic impacts that may result in disproportionately high and adverse human health, economic or environmental effects on people of color, and low-income communities.
- Use existing and develop, as needed, funding opportunities, training, and educational opportunities to aid and strengthen people of color, low-income, and native nations in their efforts to build and sustain environmentally and economically sound communities.
- These goals are derived from The Principles of Environmental Justice (EJ) and the EEJ work happening in the MRG Partnership.
- Executive Order 14008: Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad (January 27, 2021).
“To secure an equitable economic future, the United States must ensure that environmental and economic justice are key considerations in how we govern. That means investing and building a clean energy economy that creates well-paying union jobs, turning disadvantaged communities—historically marginalized and overburdened—into healthy, thriving communities, and undertaking robust actions to mitigate climate change while preparing for the impacts of climate change across rural, urban, and Tribal areas. Agencies shall make achieving environmental justice part of their missions by developing programs, policies, and activities to address the disproportionately high and adverse human health, environmental, climate-related and other cumulative impacts on disadvantaged communities, as well as the accompanying economic challenges of such impacts. It is therefore the policy of my Administration to secure environmental justice and spur economic opportunity for disadvantaged communities that have been historically marginalized and overburdened by pollution and underinvestment in housing, transportation, water and wastewater infrastructure, and health care.”White House Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad (January 27, 2021)
Environmental and Economic Justice Tools
Tool 1: Social Vulnerability Index (SVI)
This tool measures how commmunities nationwide respond to community level stressors like natural diasters, disease outbreaks, obesity, and cancer. Access data and their interactive map at: https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/place-health/php/svi/index.html
Tool 2: Environmental Justice Index (EJI)
This tool utilzes CDC data to map out the cumulative impacts of social and environmental stressors nationwide. EJI takes into account environmental burden, social vulernability, and health vulernability. Access their data and interactive map at: https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/place-health/php/eji/
Tool 3: National Environmental Health Tracking Network
The National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network (Tracking Network) brings together health data and environmental data from national, state, and city sources and provides supporting information to make the data easier to understand. The Tracking Network has data and information on environments and hazards, health effects, and population health such as incidents of drought, asthma, and air quality. Learn more at: https://ephtracking.cdc.gov/
Justice40 Funding Finder
The Justice40 Initiative is designed to implement President Joe Biden’s historic commitment to deliver at least 40 percent of federal climate and infrastructure investment benefits to disadvantaged communities. Find funding for your community or state by utilizing the Justice40 Funding Finder: https://ajustclimate.org/justice40_funding.html