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Presentation

Integrating Environmental Justice into Emergency Response Preparedness and Management
DescriptionEPA recognizes the need for more proactive consideration of the concerns of EJ/disadvantaged communities during emergency response operations. This poster will outline steps EPA has taken to enhance the effectiveness of our emergency response functions to ensure such efforts are inclusive, equitable, and responsive in following our mission to protect human health and the environment.

EPA’s 2022 Memo Integrating Environmental Justice into Emergency Response Preparedness and Management will be highlighted as a major progression of EPA’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM), and EPA Regions to integrate environmental justice (EJ) concerns into incident command. The poster will also briefly discuss the lessons learned from the Deep Water Horizon oil spill and Superstorm Sandy, as well as the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council’s (NEJAC) Gulf Coast Hurricanes: Recommendations for Future Disaster Preparedness/Response report. Some changes over the last decade to address the need for more proactive consideration in responses including updates to EPA’s 2007-2020 OEM Incident Management Handbooks, and EPA Order 2010, Crisis Communications Plan in 2016.

Poster will explain recommendations from EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights (OEJECR) and OEM to:

• Integrate EJ priorities into EPA’s National Approach to Response and develop Management Objectives/Incident Objectives
• Engage EJ expertise in early assessments
• Incorporate an EJ function and staffing support within the IMT and EOC structures, where appropriate
• Develop and conduct EJ-specific training module(s)
• Develop and promote the adoption and use of public participation guidelines for disaster response situations by relevant emergency response organizations.
Event Type
Poster
TimeMonday, May 13th5:00pm - 6:00pm CDT
LocationExhibit Hall G
Tags
Preparedness
Prevention
Remediation
Response
Restoration