EPA and the departments of Interior, Transportation and Housing and Urban Development have not fully incorporated environmental justice principles into their work as required by a Clinton-era executive order, according to a report by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR). The USCCR found that the four agencies have made progress in addressing environmental justice but noted a number of shortcomings. Specifically:

• The agencies have not established accountability and performance outcomes for programs and activities. Not one of the agencies examined reported any comprehensive assessments of their environmental justice efforts. USCCR believes that assessments are necessary for assessing the success of environmental justice initiatives. In particular, the commission recommends that agencies identify disproportionately and adversely affected communities and create explicit goals for reducing risks.
• A commitment to environmental justice issues is often lacking from agency leadership. The commission found that EPA leaders have demonstrated support for promoting environmental justice but noted that leadership at the other three agencies has not made the same commitment.

“The leadership at key federal agencies sometimes lacks commitment to ensuring that low-income communities and communities of color are treated fairly during the environmental decision-making process,” noted Mary Frances Berry, chairperson of the commission. “As a result, the agencies do not incorporate environmental justice into their core missions and existing programs are not evaluated.” Executive Order 12898, signed by President Clinton in 1994, requires all federal agencies to identify and address health or environmental problems that disproportionately afflict minority or low-income populations.