Content created by Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH)
Explore the following Environmental Justice Related Tools and Resources:
Identifying Disproportionately Environmentally Impacted Communities
CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index
The Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) is a tool that uses U.S. Census data to determine the social vulnerability of census tracts. The SVI ranks each tract on 15 social factors, including poverty, lack of vehicle access, and crowded housing, and groups them into related themes.
Office of Minority Health Social Vulnerability Index
The Minority Health Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) is an extension of the CDC SVI that combines the 15 social factors included in the original CDC SVI with additional factors known to be associated with COVID-19 outcomes.
CDC Environmental Justice Dashboard
The Environmental Justice dashboard brings together data and information that can be used to identify communities vulnerable to environmental exposures.
EPA’s Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool “EJ Screen”
EPA’s EJScreen is a tool based on nationally consistent data and an approach that combines environmental and demographic indicators into maps and reports.
CEQ Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool
The CEQ-created geospatial Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool utilizes interactive mapping capabilities to identify communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution. Many federal agencies will use the tool in implementation of the Justice40 Initiative goal of directing 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments to disadvantaged communities.
Assessing Environmental Impacts on Your Health
Public Health Assessments and Consultations
A public health assessment (PHA) evaluates a hazardous waste site for hazardous substances, health outcomes, and community concerns. An individual or community can make a request in written form (petition) to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) to investigate specific environmental health concerns in a community.
ATSDR also conducts public health consultations if a specific health question or issue arises about a potential environmental hazard. A consultation differs from a public health assessment in that the consultation focuses on a specific question and provides a more rapid response.
Epidemiologic Assistance (Epi-Aids)
An Epi-Aid is an investigation of an urgent public health problem, such as infectious or non-communicable disease outbreaks, unexplained illnesses, or natural or manmade disasters. When a public health authority requests assistance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an Epi-Aid allows rapid, short-term (1–3 weeks), generally onsite, technical assistance by Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officers and other CDC subject matter experts.
CASPERS
The Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) is an epidemiologic technique designed to provide public health leaders and emergency managers household-based information about a community.
Civil Rights Complaints Portal
HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) enforces federal civil rights laws, conscience and religious freedom laws, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules, and the Patient Safety Act and Rule, which together protect your fundamental rights of nondiscrimination, conscience, religious freedom, and health information privacy at covered entities.