Page:MPO Regional Transit Advisory Committee · Lawrence-Douglas County 2012-2015-TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM-Revision-2.pdf/33

 =VII.ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE REVIEW=

Environmental Justice (EJ) is a federal requirement that projects using federal funds be selected and distributed fairly to all people regardless of income or race and that all people have equal access to the benefits afforded by federally funded projects as well as equal access to the decision-making process for the selection of those federal projects. This policy is defined in Executive Order 12898 that was signed by President Clinton on February 11, 1994.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines Environmental Justice as the "fair treatment for people of all races, cultures, and incomes, regarding the development of environmental laws, regulations, and policies." The FHWA considers three fundamental environmental justice principles:
 * To avoid, minimize, or mitigate disproportionately high and adverse human health and environmental effects, including social and economic effects, on minority populations and low-income populations.
 * To ensure the full and fair participation by all potentially affected communities in the transportation decision-making process.
 * To prevent the denial of, reduction in, or significant delay in the receipt of benefits by minority and low-income populations.

More Environmental Justice information related to programs, including MPO operations, which are funded by the FHWA and the Federal Transit Administration, can be found at the following web site: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/ej2000.htm

In order for the MPO to consider the EJ aspects of the projects listed in this TIP the MPO staff mapped the location of the roadway, bridge and transportation enhancement projects and the areas of the region that have a significantly larger than average percentage of low-income and/or minority populations. These areas with high percentages of minority and/or low-income populations are called EJ zones for this discussion. The definition of how EJ zones were delineated for this analysis and the map depicting the EJ zones in Douglas County and their spatial relationships to TIP project locations are shown on the following pages.

Low/Moderate Household Income Population, by Census 2000 Block Groups, from 2008 American Community Survey
The map depicts selected Census block groups from the 2000 Decennial Census Tiger Maps of Douglas County, Kansas where 60 percent or more of the population residing in households earn less than 80 percent of the area median income. The City of Lawrence Neighborhood Resources Division of the Planning and Development Services Department currently uses this information to identify areas within the community that have higher concentrations of low and moderate income residents. Various housing rehabilitation program funds and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds are targeted toward these areas. The source data are from the 2008 American Community Survey Page 29 of 57