EPA eyes update to environmental justice guidelines

By Sean Reilly | 06/16/2023 01:30 PM EDT

The proposed revisions are part of a larger project to overhaul the agency’s methods for addressing communities’ total exposure to pollution of all types.

EPA headquarters.

EPA headquarters. Francis Chung/E&E News | Francis Chung/E&E News

EPA is moving to update its guidelines for assessing the cumulative risks to communities posed by pollution from a variety of sources for the first time in more than a quarter-century.

In a draft posted online Friday morning for public comment, the agency said the proposed guidelines are intended to “describe considerations for evaluating when CRA [cumulative risk assessment) is both suitable and feasible, and steps to plan a CRA when those conditions are met.”

If made final, the proposed update would replace 1997 guidance issued under then-President Bill Clinton.

Advertisement

By the agency’s definition, cumulative risk assessment “is an analysis, characterization, and possible quantification of the combined risks to health or the environment from multiple agents or stressors.” Lengthier and more detailed than the 1997 version, the proposed guidelines are designed for EPA risk managers. Among other features, they lay out an eight-step process for planning the assessments and factors to take into account. They also offer examples of uncertainties that may affect the results.

GET FULL ACCESS