In January 2010, Administrator Lisa P. Jackson made Expanding the 

Conversation on Environmentalism and Working for Environmental Justice 

an Agency priority. This priority was incorporated into the U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Strategic Plan for 2011-2015. To 

implement this priority, EPA launched Plan EJ 2014 as the Agency’s 

roadmap for integrating environmental justice into its programs, policies, 

and activities. 

Plan EJ 2014: At‐A‐Glance
 

Plan EJ 2014, which is meant to mark the 20th

anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 12898 on

environmental justice, is EPA’s overarching strategy for

advancing environmental justice. It seeks to:

1.	 Protect the environment and health in

overburdened communities.

2.	 Empower communities to take action to improve

their health and environment.

3.	 Establish partnerships with local, state, tribal, and

federal governments and organizations to achieve

healthy and sustainable communities.

Plan EJ 2014 has three major sections: Cross‐Agency Focus

Areas, Tools Development Areas, and Program Initiatives.

Input from communities and all stakeholders helped to

inform the development of Plan EJ 2014 and will continue

to inform implementation of its initiatives. EPA will issue

annual reports documenting the progress toward meeting

the commitments outlined in Plan EJ 2014. The annual

reports will be made available to the public through

For more information on Plan EJ 2014 and how to get involved

please go to: http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/plan‐ej/

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Three Major Sections in Plan EJ 2014 

1. Cross‐Agency Focus Areas

EPA has identified five Cross‐Agency Focus Areas:

1.	 Incorporating Environmental Justice into

Rulemaking.

2.	 Considering Environmental Justice in Permitting.

3.	 Advancing Environmental Justice through

Compliance and Enforcement.

4.	 Supporting Community‐Based Action Programs.

5.	 Fostering Administration‐Wide Action on

Environmental Justice.

2. Tools Development Areas

Tools Development will focus on developing the methods,

mechanisms, and systems that support environmental

justice analysis, technical assistance, and community

work. Plan EJ 2014 has identified four areas for tools

development:

6.	 Science.

7.	 Law.

8.	 Information.

9.	 Resources.

3. Program Initiatives

EPA will designate one initiative per appropriate program

for inclusion in Plan EJ 2014. Existing EPA initiatives can

be tailored to better integrate environmental justice and

produce greater benefits for overburdened communities.

What Happens in 2014? 

In 2014, EPA will make an assessment of its progress in

achieving the goals of Plan EJ 2014. Based on this

assessment, EPA will produce a report on the

accomplishments, lessons learned, challenges, and next

steps for continuing the Agency’s efforts to make

environmental justice an integral part of every decision.

For more information on Plan EJ 2014 and how to get involved

please go to: http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/plan‐ej/