Office of Environmental Justice

The Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) provides a central point for the Agency to address environmental and human health concerns in minority communities and/or low-income communities--a segment of the population which has been disproportionately exposed to environmental harms and risks. OEJ works to address this issue through a number of initiatives that emphasize building both external and internal networks. OEJ works within EPA to ensure that the Agency considers environmental justice issues by working with individual program offices and with the regions. OEJ firmly believes that an effective national program cannot be achieved unless and until each region has a strong environmental justice office. In short, ‘the whole is equal to the sum of its parts.' The goal is to ensure that all stakeholders consider that the Agency's national and regional environmental justice programs are not only consistent, but, more importantly, are well-coordinated.

OEJ consists of a professional staff of fifteen. It functions as a matrix organization around three major areas, each managed by an Associate Director. These areas are: Policy Development and Inter/Intra-Agency Coordination; Outreach; and Administration and Resources Management.