Sec. 3. Definitions

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In this Act: The term Administrator means the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. The term community of color means any geographically distinct area the population of color of which is higher than the average population of color of the State in which the community is located. The term community-based science means voluntary public participation in the scientific process and the incorporation of data and information generated outside of traditional institutional boundaries to address real-world problems in ways that may include formulating research questions, conducting scientific experiments, collecting and analyzing data, interpreting results, making new discoveries, developing technologies and applications, and solving complex problems, with an emphasis on the democratization of science and the engagement of diverse people and communities.

The term environmental justice means the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all individuals, regardless of race, color, national origin, educational level, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies to ensure that— populations of color, communities of color, indigenous communities, and low-income communities have access to public information and opportunities for meaningful public participation relating to human health and environmental planning, regulations, and enforcement; no population of color or community of color, indigenous community, or low-income community shall be exposed to a disproportionate burden of the negative human health and environmental impacts of pollution or other environmental hazards; and the 17 Principles of Environmental Justice written and adopted at the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit held on October 24 through 27, 1991, in Washington, DC, are upheld.

The term Federal agency means— each Federal agency represented on the Working Group; and any other Federal agency that carries out a Federal program or activity that substantially affects human health or the environment, as determined by the President. The term fenceline community means a population living in close proximity to a source of pollution. The term indigenous community means— a federally recognized Indian Tribe; a State-recognized Indian Tribe; an Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian community or organization; and any other community of indigenous people, including communities in other countries.

The term infrastructure means any system for safe drinking water, sewer collection, solid waste disposal, electricity generation, communication, or transportation access (including highways, airports, marine terminals, rail systems, and residential roads) that is used to effectively and safely support— housing; an educational facility; a medical provider; a park or recreational facility; or a local businesses. The term low income means an annual household income equal to, or less than, the greater of— an amount equal to 80 percent of the median income of the area in which the household is located, as reported by the Department of Housing and Urban Development; and 200 percent of the Federal poverty line.

The term low-income community means any census block group in which 30 percent or more of the population are individuals with low income. The term meaningful , with respect to involvement by the public in a determination by a Federal agency, means that— potentially affected residents of a community have an appropriate opportunity to participate in decisions regarding a proposed activity that will affect the environment or public health of the community; the public contribution can influence the determination by the Federal agency; the concerns of all participants involved are taken into consideration in the decision-making process; and the Federal agency— provides to potentially affected members of the public accurate information; and facilitates the involvement of potentially affected members of the public.

The term population of color means a population of individuals who identify as— Black; African American; Asian; Pacific Islander; another nonWhite race; Hispanic; Latino; or linguistically isolated. The term publish means to make publicly available in a form that is— generally accessible, including on the internet and in public libraries; and accessible for— individuals who are limited in English proficiency, in accordance with Executive Order 13166 (65 Fed. Reg. 50121 (August 16, 2000)); and individuals with disabilities.

The term Working Group means the interagency Federal Working Group on Environmental Justice convened under section 1–102 of Executive Order 12898 ( 42 U.S.C. 4321 note), as amended by Executive Order 12948 (60 Fed. Reg. 6381 (January 30, 1995)) and modified by section 4.

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