Environmental Justice

Tracing roots back to the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s and the environmental movement of the 1960s and 1970s, the environmental justice movement in the United States responds to discriminatory environmental practices—including toxic dumping, municipal waste facility siting and land use and transportation decisions that negatively affected communities of color.

The federal government defines environmental justice as “the just treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of income, race, color, national origin, Tribal affiliation, or disability, in agency decision-making and other Federal activities that affect human health and the environment so that people: (i) are fully protected from disproportionate and adverse human health and environmental effects (including risks) and hazards, including those related to climate change, the cumulative impacts of environmental and other burdens, and the legacy of racism or other structural or systemic barriers; and (ii) have equitable access to a healthy, sustainable, and resilient environment in which to live, play, work, learn, grow, worship, and engage in cultural and subsistence practices.” (Executive Order 14096) 

Environmental justice in the SCAG region is challenged by diverse demographics, geography and economics, with extremes in household income and public health outcomes caused by numerous social, economic and environmental factors. The region includes heavily urban and entirely rural areas, each with its unique environmental risks, as well as terrain that creates obstacles to achieving environmental goals, such as air quality improvements.

SCAG pursues environmental justice by implementing improved planning practices and meeting federal and state requirements.

SCAG’s ongoing equity efforts directly inform and intersect with the environmental justice movement. For more information on SCAG’s equity efforts, visit the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Awareness webpage.

Contact

Help us keep our contact information updated. If you have any questions or comments, please contact:

Anita Au
(213) 236-1874
environmentaljustice@scag.ca.gov

Annaleigh Ekman
(213) 630-1427
environmentaljustice@scag.ca.gov

Connect SoCal 2024 Equity Analysis

Every four years, SCAG updates its visionary plan for the future of the region. On April 4, 2024, SCAG’s Regional Council adopted Connect SoCal 2024, including the “Equity Analysis Technical Report,” which documents the environmental justice analysis.

The Equity Analysis evaluates the potential impacts of implementing the Connect SoCal 2024 on communities, including both protected populations defined by federal regulation and priority communities identified by SCAG and regional stakeholders. This involved the development and evaluation of Priority Equity Communities, census tracts in the SCAG region that have a greater concentration of populations that have been historically marginalized and are susceptible to inequitable outcomes based on several socioeconomic factors.

Without a region-wide movement toward more equitable planning practices and policies, SCAG cannot guarantee that 2050 will show any progress on the equity performance measures. The Equity Resources for Action (ERA) Toolbox, previously called the EJ Toolbox, is a compilation of resources and example policies and actions that local agencies and groups can use to advocate for and advance racial equity in their communities.

Resources

Past Projects

Equity Working Group

As part of the Regional Planning Working Groups (RPWG), SCAG launched a Equity Working Group (EWG) in June 2021, combining the former Environmental Justice and Public Health Working Groups. The purpose of the EWG is to engage stakeholders regarding SCAG’s regional and local planning activities and share efforts across the region to eliminate racial bias and barriers in land use and transportation planning. The EWG also highlights national best practices. Discussions focus on equity-related plans, programs, projects, tools, resources, and best practices. Because equity is intersectional, the EWG addresses multiple planning areas, including environmental justice (EJ), public health, and other related fields.

EWG meetings are typically held quarterly. To be notified about resources and upcoming meetings, subscribe to updates for the Equity Working Group.

Agendas and presentations for all RPWGs can be found on the RPWG webpage. A summary of topics covered by the EWG since June 2021 is available here: Equity Working Group History.

For more information, please contact Anita Au at environmentaljustice@scag.ca.gov.

Resources & Links

Policies and Guidance

Tools

The “Equity Resources for Action Toolbox” (ERA Toolbox) compiles practices, policies and strategies from local agencies and groups to address inequities in communities and census tracts with high concentrations of low-income populations and people of color. Case studies and examples from various agencies and organizations compiled in the ERA Toolbox address and respond to inequities within areas of mobility, community, environment and the economy—the four pillars of the Connect SoCal 2024 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy.

For example, the mobility section of the ERA Toolbox outlines how patterns of racial segregation, gentrification and displacement have limited access to essential services and overall mobility for low-income households and communities of color before providing case studies and resources for transit-oriented development, complete streets and active transportation, safe routes and streets, and affordable and accessible transportation.

Each section also includes a list of relevant general plan elements required by state law for local plans to address when planning for the long-term future. For example, mobility is addressed in the circulation, land use, conservation, safety, and noise elements of every jurisdiction’s general plan.

Local government officials and community members can use this toolbox of resources to apply equitable methods while developing and implementing policies, projects, and programs and updating their general plan elements.

Published in earlier form as the “Environmental Justice Toolbox,” the ERA Toolbox is a “living document,” with planned future editions building on this publication as practices and resources continue to develop and evolve. The ERA Toolbox draws from General Plan Guidelines published by the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, the SB 1000 Implementation Toolkit developed by California Environmental Justice Alliance and PlaceWorks, and research on local and community-based organizations efforts conducted by SCAG staff.

All recommendations are optional at the discretion of the user. Recommendations incorporating or referring to compliance with existing regulations are for informational purposes only and do not supersede existing regulations. If you would like to provide feedback or contribute an idea to the ERA Toolbox, please send an email to environmentaljustice@scag.ca.gov.

Download the full “Equity Resources for Action Toolbox” online.

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