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2012 Autumn | Education & Outreach, Environmental Justice, Policy & Regulation

The Big, The Little, and the Middle: Seeking Environmental Justice Using Intermediary Parties

Student(s):

Hannah Avrin

Program or Department(s):

  • Program on the Environment
  • University of Washington

Site supervisor(s):

Peter Murchie (Interim Manager, Community Engagement and Health Unit) and Running-Grass (Environmental Justice Coordinator), Office of Ecosystems, Tribal & Public Affairs,

Partner(s):

  • United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10

Faculty advisor(s):

Todd A. Wildermuth, Director of Environmental Law Initiatives, Scholar in Residence, School of Law, University of Washington

Environmental justice (EJ) is the concept that all individuals and groups should have equal access to environmental quality as well as protection from disproportionate exposure
to environmental burdens. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), like all other federal agencies, has been charged by Executive Order 12898 to address issues of EJ in American
communities. However, during my internship with the EPA, it became apparent that EJ is heavily tied to issues outside of EPA’s principal charge. Communities burdened by outsized environmental risks
also typically experience social, economic, and health inequities. The EPA was originally founded as an environmental and regulatory agency with a central mission of mitigating environmental
pollution. The EPA will undoubtedly continue to play a role in achieving EJ, but their core competencies are not centered on addressing inequities at the community scale. This study identifies reasons why the EPA has not been able to achieve its EJ goals and considers solutions to strengthen their efforts. The EPA currently faces challenges to achieving EJ, such as: inadequate resources, ill-fitting skill sets for engaging communities at the necessary scale, and a broad mismatch between community and bureaucratic structures. I argue that EJ is more likely to be achieved if an intermediary party is placed between the EPA and communities affected by EJ issues. The three solutions I explore are: increasing funding for the EPA and revamping their responsibilities regarding EJ; creating an EJ-focused agency modeled after cooperative extension; and assigning an existing or new non-profit organization with an EJ mission.