Environmental Justice

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 states that "No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." In 1994, Executive Order (EO) 12898, "Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations," was issued. EO 12898 emphasized a federal agency's responsibility to make environmental justice a goal by identifying and addressing the effects of programs, policies, and activities on minority and low-income populations. This is accomplished by involving the public in developing transportation projects that fit within their communities without sacrificing equity, environmental justice and safety.
Upon completion of the Exhibit 6-A Preliminary Environmental Study (PES) Form, if questions 23-32 are marked yes, or if the PES results in an Environmental Assessment or Environmental Impact Statement:

1. Title VI implementation and outreach may be triggered. Any vital public communication must be translated and accessible when a significant number or percentage of the population is eligible to be served (5% or 1,000 individuals, whichever is less of the population to be served), or likely to be directly affected by the program/activity, needs services or information in a language other than English to communicate effectively.
2. The LPA must contact the District Senior Environmental Planner and the District Senior Right of Way Agent to inform them the agency may implement Title VI and outreach for this project.

Refer to Exhibit 6-B for further instructions on completing the PES form.

FHWA Guidance on Title VI and Environmental Justice: This provides information on Environmental Justice history, policy documents, FAQ’s, case studies, training, and resources.