I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4652 
To direct each Federal agency to establish an Environmental Justice Office, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 13, 2007 
Mr. HASTINGS of Florida (for himself, Ms. SOLIS, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. 
ELLISON, Ms. KILPATRICK, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. UDALL of Colorado, Mr. 
PALLONE, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. MEEK of Florida, Ms. CORRINE 
BROWN of Florida, Mr. WEXLER, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mr. 
HONDA, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. CLAY, Mr. BERMAN, Ms. LEE, 
Mr. NADLER, Mr. HINCHEY, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. HINOJOSA, 
Mr. KUCINICH, and Ms. BERKLEY) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition 
to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently 
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To direct each Federal agency to establish an Environmental 
Justice Office, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Environmental Justice 
Access and Implementation Act of 2007’’. 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
03:28 Dec 15, 2007
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4652.IH
H4652
bajohnson on PROD1PC77 with BILLS
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
(a) DEFINITION OF ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.—For 
purposes of carrying out this Act, the following definitions 
shall apply: 
(1) The term ‘‘environmental justice’’ means 
the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all 
people regardless of race, color, national origin, edu-
cational level, or income with respect to the develop-
ment, implementation, and enforcement of environ-
mental laws and regulations in order to ensure 
that— 
(A) minority and low-income communities 
have access to public information relating to 
human health and environmental planning, reg-
ulations and enforcement; and 
(B) no minority or low-income population 
is forced to shoulder a disproportionate burden 
of the negative human health and environ-
mental impacts of pollution or other environ-
mental hazard. 
(2) The term ‘‘fair treatment’’ means policies 
and practices that ensure that no group of people, 
including racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic groups 
bear disproportionately high and adverse human 
health or environmental effects resulting from Fed-
eral agency programs, policies, and activities. 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
03:28 Dec 15, 2007
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4652.IH
H4652
bajohnson on PROD1PC77 with BILLS
(b) IDENTIFICATION AND PRIORITIZATION OF ENVI-
RONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITIES.—For purposes of 
Executive Order 12898, criteria for defining an environ-
mental justice community shall include demographic char-
acteristics, such as percentages of minority and low-in-
come residents within an area with a higher than average 
rate of— 
(1) health vulnerabilities, such as cancer mor-
tality and incidence rate, infant mortality, low birth 
weight, asthma, and childhood lead poisoning; and 
(2) exposure to environmental conditions, such 
as facility density and proximity to Corrective Ac-
tion/Superfund Sites, Brownfields, Enforcement 
Data (percent and number of uninspected facilities, 
percent and number of unaddressed violations, aver-
age and total penalty and air nonattainment status), 
hazardous emissions, attainment status, hazardous 
indoor air quality, hazardous water quality, and traf-
fic related to the covered or uncovered, transport of 
polluting substances. 
SEC. 3. IMPLEMENTATION AND INTEGRATION OF FEDERAL 
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE INITIATIVES. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT
OF OFFICES
OF ENVIRON-
MENTAL JUSTICE.—For purposes of Executive Order 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
03:28 Dec 15, 2007
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4652.IH
H4652
bajohnson on PROD1PC77 with BILLS
12898, each of the following shall establish an Office of 
Environmental Justice: 
(1) Department of Defense. 
(2) Department of Justice. 
(3) Department of the Interior. 
(4) Department of Agriculture. 
(5) Department of Commerce. 
(6) Department of Labor. 
(7) Department of Health and Human Services. 
(8) Department of Housing and Urban Devel-
opment. 
(9) Department of Transportation. 
(10) Department of Energy. 
(11) Department of Homeland Security 
(12) Environmental Protection Agency. 
(13) Office of Management and Budget. 
(14) Office of Science and Technology Policy. 
(15) Office of the Deputy Assistant to the 
President for Environmental Policy. 
(16) Office of the Assistant to the President for 
Domestic Policy. 
(17) National Economic Council. 
(18) Council of Economic Advisers. 
(19) Department of State. 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
03:28 Dec 15, 2007
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4652.IH
H4652
bajohnson on PROD1PC77 with BILLS
(20) Such other Government entities as the 
President may designate. 
(b) CHARACTERISTICS
OF OFFICES
OF ENVIRON-
MENTAL JUSTICE.—Offices established by this Act shall 
be overseen by a Director of Senior Executive Service des-
ignation with environmental justice activities as their pri-
mary responsibility. Such offices should be established 
within 6 months of enactment of this Act 
(c) INTEGRATION
OF
ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE 
POLICIES IN AGENCY ACTIONS.—For purposes of the en-
vironmental justice strategies developed by agencies under 
Executive Order 12898, each agency shall integrate the 
strategy into the operation and mission of the agency and 
explicitly address compliance with this Act, including in 
the following activities: 
(1) Future rulemaking activities. 
(2) The development of any future guidance, 
environmental reviews (including NEPA, CAA, Fed-
eral Land Policy Act), regulation, or procedures for 
Federal agency programs, policies, or activities that 
affect human health or the environment. 
(d) INTERAGENCY FEDERAL WORKING GROUP CO-
ORDINATION AND GUIDANCE.—The Interagency Federal 
Working Group on Environmental Justice (in this section 
referred to as the ‘‘Working Group’’) shall— 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
03:28 Dec 15, 2007
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4652.IH
H4652
bajohnson on PROD1PC77 with BILLS
(1) coordinate an integrated environmental jus-
tice training plan for the Federal agencies and of-
fices listed in subsection (c); 
(2) formalize meaningful public participation 
goals and procedures; 
(3) survey the Federal agencies and offices to 
determine what is effective and how to best facilitate 
outreach without duplicating efforts; 
(4) develop a strategy for allocating responsibil-
ities and ensuring participation in multi-agency 
projects, even when faced with competing agency 
priorities; and 
(5) coordinate plans to communicate research 
results so reporting and outreach activities produce 
more useful and timely information. 
(e) AGENCY PUBLIC PARTICIPATION EFFORTS.— 
(1) OUTREACH EFFORTS.—Each Federal agen-
cy listed in subsection (c) shall carry out and report 
outreach activities to the Working Group, including 
the following: 
(A) Respond directly to inquiries from the 
public and other stakeholders. 
(B) Maintain Web sites and listservers. 
(C) Produce and distribute hardcopy docu-
ments and multimedia products. 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
03:28 Dec 15, 2007
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4652.IH
H4652
bajohnson on PROD1PC77 with BILLS
(D) Conduct or sponsor briefings, lectures, 
and press conferences. 
(E) Testify before Congress or other gov-
ernment bodies. 
(F) Finance scholarships, fellowships, and 
internships. 
(G) Support museum exhibits and other 
public displays. 
(H) Sponsor, participate, or otherwise con-
tribute to meetings attended by stakeholders. 
(I) Provide scientifically-sound content for 
K–12 education activities. 
(J) Fund outreach efforts managed outside 
the Federal Government. 
(2) STAKEHOLDERS.—To ensure their active 
public participation and to provide input early in en-
vironmental decision-making, Federal agencies along 
with the Working Group shall develop ways to en-
hance partnerships and coordination with stake-
holders, including affected communities, Federal, 
Tribal, State, and local governments, environmental 
organizations, nonprofit organizations, academic in-
stitutions (including Historically Black Colleges and 
Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
03:28 Dec 15, 2007
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4652.IH
H4652
bajohnson on PROD1PC77 with BILLS
(HSIs), and Tribal Colleges), and business and in-
dustry. 
(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
(1) There are authorized to be appropriated for 
each of the entities named in section 3(a) and (b), 
$1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 
2018 to carry out this section. 
(2) There are authorized to be appropriated for 
the purposes of section 3(c), (d), and (e) such sums 
as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2008 
through 2018. 
SEC. 4. COMMUNITY ACCESS AND PARTICIPATION IN FED-
ERAL 
ENVIRONMENTAL 
JUSTICE 
INITIA-
TIVES. 
(a) COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY CENTERS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Federal agencies shall col-
laboratively fund and establish community tech-
nology centers to assist with technical assistance 
issues in the environmental justice area, coordinated 
by the Interagency Federal Working Group on Envi-
ronmental Justice. 
(2) DESCRIPTION.—In this subsection, the term 
‘‘community technology center’’ (CTC) refers to pro-
grams with the goal of providing at least 10 hours 
of open access a week for anyone in a community, 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
03:28 Dec 15, 2007
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4652.IH
H4652
bajohnson on PROD1PC77 with BILLS
especially youth and adults in low-income urban and 
rural communities, for purposes of providing tech-
nical assistance to communities experiencing issues 
associated with environmental hazards. 
(3) LOCATION.—A community technology cen-
ter may be located in places such as libraries, com-
munity centers, schools, churches, social service 
agencies, low-income residential housing complexes, 
and Minority Academic Institutions (such as His-
torically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic 
Serving Institutions, and Tribal Colleges). 
(4) CRITERIA FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMU-
NITY TECHNOLOGY CENTERS.—The President shall 
recommend the minimum number of community 
technology centers based on demographic profiles of 
environmental 
justice 
communities, 
within 
months of the implementation of this Act. 
(5) ACTIVITIES OF COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY 
CENTER.—A community technology center funded 
under this section shall— 
(A) assist community members in becom-
ing active participants in cleanup and environ-
mental development activities; 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
03:28 Dec 15, 2007
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4652.IH
H4652
bajohnson on PROD1PC77 with BILLS