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Displaying 1 - 15 of 20 results
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What is the definition of “overburdened community” that is relevant for EPA Actions and Promising Practices?
EPA Actions and Promising Practices apply the description of overburdened communities articulated in EPA’s Plan EJ 2014. The term is used to describe the minority, low‐income, tribal and indigenous populations or communities in the United States that potentially experience disproportionate environmental harms and risks due to exposures or cumulative impacts…
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How will an EPA regional office determine whether a permitted activity impacts a potential overburdened community? What screening tool or process will EPA regional offices use to screen permit applications?
The Agency has developed a nationally consistent screening tool to help identify communities that are potentially overburdened. This tool, known as EJSCREEN, is one of several tools being developed under Plan EJ 2014. EPA anticipates that its regional offices will use EJSCREEN and other readily available information, including known community…
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Some of the Promising Practices are mentioned in EPA regulations, guidance and recommendations that EPA has issued in the past. So why is EPA issuing the Promising Practices?
EPA is issuing Promising Practices to encourage permit applicants to strategically plan and conduct enhanced outreach to overburdened communities in the permitting process. As some commenters noted, EPA has recommended some of the outreach strategies included in Promising Practices previously. Nevertheless, EPA believes that it is important to issue Promising…
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Are permit applicants required to adopt the Promising Practices?
EPA is not requiring permit applicants to adopt the Promising Practices. Promising Practices are simply that: good ideas in the form of suggestions to permit applicants. Permit applicants may benefit from applying these Promising Practices. EPA hopes that when permit applicants practice early and meaningful dialogue with the community, they…
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EPA Actions does not require EPA regional offices to prioritize the same types of permits and adopt the same outreach activities. Why doesn’t EPA require regional offices to always prioritize certain permits and always do certain outreach activities?
EPA Actions strikes an important balance between national consistency and regional flexibility. The Agency‐wide guidelines establish national consistency by providing EPA’s expectations for the regional implementation plans. At the same time, EPA recognizes that the regional offices need the flexibility to take actions suited to the types of permits and…
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Do EPA Actions or the Promising Practices in the Federal Register notice apply to permits that are issued by state, tribal, or local permitting authorities, or just permits that are issued by EPA?
EPA Actions and Promising Practices apply only to permits that are issued by EPA. It does not apply to permits issued by state, tribal or local governments under authority delegated by EPA. By addressing environmental justice in its permits, EPA is leading by example among federal departments and agencies. EPA…
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If permit applicants are not required to adopt the Promising Practices, why should a permit applicant adopt them?
EPA hopes that the practices described will persuade those who are new to these ideas to experiment with this form of leadership. Indeed, engaging with their communities as described in Promising Practices is consistent with many permit applicants’ core values. These principles, practices and values lead to corporate sustainability, stability…
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Are tribal and indigenous communities within the definition of overburdened communities?
Tribal and indigenous communities are included in EPA’s definition of overburdened communities under Plan EJ 2014. For nearly thirty years, EPA has worked with federally recognized tribal governments on a government‐to‐government basis as sovereigns, partners, and co‐regulators. EPA has also worked with indigenous communities to address their environmental and health…
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Does EPA Actions apply to permits that are jointly issued by EPA and a state, tribal, or local permitting authority with partially delegated permitting authority?
EPA regional offices will decide whether a permit that EPA jointly issues with a state, tribal, or local permitting authority should be considered for prioritization for enhanced outreach as described in EPA Actions on a case‐by‐case basis. EPA will take into account its role and authority in issuing the specific…
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Why doesn’t EPA do enhanced outreach for every permit?
Robust public outreach and engagement can consume a substantial amount of resources from all stakeholders in a permitting process and would not be warranted for every permit action. EPA recognizes that its regional offices cannot enhance engagement for every EPA‐issued permit and that overburdened communities might be overwhelmed with process…
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How will an EPA regional office determine whether a permitted activity may have significant public health or environmental impacts?
Permit applications provide information on the proposed project consistent with the requirements of particular statutes and regulations. EPA may also do its own assessment of the environmental and public health impacts of a proposed project, using modeling and monitoring data for example. Such information would inform an EPA regional office’s…
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How will EPA Actions apply to EPA‐permitted activities that may impact multiple EPA regions?
A permitted activity could potentially impact an area that straddles two or more EPA regions. The EPA region where the permitted activity is located usually has the lead for issuing the permit. EPA regions with the lead for issuing the permit routinely engage other regions impacted by the permitted activity…
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Will EPA provide incentives to permit applicants who adopt Promising Practices, like an expedited permit process?
EPA is not providing incentives to permit applicants who adopt the Promising Practices, such as an expedited permit process. Nevertheless, permit applicants should be aware of the many benefits that can accrue to them if they adopt the Promising Practices to create a constructive dialogue with the community in which…
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Will EPA regional offices screen every permit application to determine whether potential overburdened communities may be impacted by permitted activities?
The prioritization process laid out in EPA Actions directs EPA regional offices to prioritize permits. Regional offices will consider prioritizing all EPA‐issued permits that have (1) significant environmental impacts; and (2) impacts on overburdened communities. The order in which the prioritization criteria are examined may vary from region to region…
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If a permit is prioritized for enhanced outreach, does this mean that EPA will require stricter emission or discharge limits, or deny a permit?
An EPA regional’ office’s decisions on whether to issue a permit and, if so, the conditions to impose within a permit are distinct from the EPA regional office’s decisions about the outreach EPA may perform during the permitting process. EPA’s decisions on whether to issue a permit and what permit…
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