(AGENPARL) – gio 21 novembre 2024 Issued: Nov 21, 2024 (1:18pm EST)
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EPA Announces New Draft Framework to Advance Consideration of Cumulative
Impacts on Communities
EPA is seeking public comment and Tribal input on the Framework to ensure
meaningful engagement
WASHINGTON — Today, November 21, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
released a draft of the Interim Framework for Advancing Consideration of
Cumulative Impacts, providing agency programs and regional offices with tools
and principles to consider cumulative impacts in their work. This work is
based on the best available science on how pollution and other burdens
interact to affect individuals’ and communities’ health and
well-being. Cumulative impacts are defined scientifically by the totality of
exposures to chemical and non-chemical stressors and their effects on health
and quality of life outcomes. This may include several factors such as
culture, subsistence practices, socioeconomics, and other social determinants
of health. 
The draft is now available for public comment to ensure meaningful engagement,
including Tribal consultation, to help EPA develop and implement approaches to
incorporate cumulative impacts in delivering public health and environmental
protections for communities and Tribes. EPA is advancing the Biden-Harris
Administration’s commitment to environmental justice, including through
the Justice40 Initiative, and historic investments in communities
overburdened by pollution and marginalized by under investment. The Framework
is the latest step in a larger effort to integrate cumulative impacts research
and work across the agency, and to advance its goals of meaningful engagement
and Tribal consultation. 
“Solving environmental inequities starts with acknowledging that not all
communities face the same barriers and challenges. The Biden-Harris
Administration and our office have made it a priority to ensure that the needs
of the most overburdened and underserved communities in our nation are not
overlooked,” said Theresa Segovia, Principal Deputy Assistant
Administrator for EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil
Rights. “This framework is the result of years of hard work and dedication
from our staff and sets a clear path for our agency to engage meaningfully
with local communities and seek input from Tribes on cumulative impacts as we
continue working to understand and address the cumulative impacts communities
can face.” 
“Over the past two years, the National Environmental Justice Advisory
Council has engaged with EPA on the important issue of cumulative impacts
because the issue is so central to addressing the environmental plight of
overburdened communities,” said Jerome Shabazz, Overbrook Environmental
Education Center. “I am excited that EPA is releasing this framework and
eager to work with EPA to advance the concepts within it.”  
“In communities like those I serve in Houston, people face shorter life
expectancy and higher rates of diseases because of pollution and environmental
inequalities. We owe it to them to take meaningful action to ensure everyone
has access to clean air and water,” said Harris County, TX Attorney
Christian Menefee. “I support the EPA’s new framework, as we lay a
foundation to tackle cumulative impacts. I’m excited to keep working with
the EPA to make a real difference and improve the health and quality of life
for all.” 
The Interim Framework for Advancing Consideration of Cumulative
Impacts describes principles for EPA to consider cumulative impacts in EPA
decisions. These principles include: 
Centering cumulative impacts work on improving human health, quality of life,
and the environment in all communities. 
Ensuring the disproportionate and adverse burden of cumulative impacts are not
ignored or overlooked. 
Applying a fit-for-purpose approach grounded in science to assessing and
addressing cumulative impacts. 
Engaging communities, consulting with Tribes, and considering and
incorporating their lived experience. 
Using the best available data, science, and information to make decisions and
take action. 
Operationalizing and integrating ways to highlight, consider and address
cumulative impacts. 
By evaluating and taking cumulative impacts into account, EPA can undertake
actions and make decisions that help achieve the following goals:  
Communities are safe, healthy, and thriving. 
All people are protected from adverse environmental health effects and
hazards, including cumulative impacts of environmental and other burdens. 
No community bears a disproportionate share of adverse environmental and
public health impacts. 
The Interim Framework for Advancing Consideration of Cumulative
Impacts provides examples of EPA actions that incorporate some of the
principles listed above and are protective of children who are especially
vulnerable. These include water permitting processes that consider Tribal
cultural and subsistence use of resources, more robust analysis for
the recent air pollution rule on synthetic organic chemicals, which will
protect the health of communities near facilities from cancer and other harm,
and EPA’s updated residential soil lead guidance. 
EPA has released a number of key tools to support this work,
including Cumulative Impacts Research (pdf), a report issued by the Office of
Research and Development with recommendations to enhance cumulative impacts
research. Additionally, EPA programs and regions provide technical assistance
and funding for cumulative impacts assessments to address long-standing
environmental issues in rural and urban locations, including examples
resulting in eight place-based demonstration efforts across the
country. Learn more about cumulative impacts at EPA. 
The release of the Interim Framework for Advancing Consideration of
Cumulative Impacts furthers the agency’s efforts to take a comprehensive
scientific view of cumulative impacts as outlined in the
agency’s FY2022-FY2026 Strategic Plan. In addition, it advances the goals
of Executive Order 14096, Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to
Environmental Justice for Al, to ensure that all communities will be able to
have access to clean air, clean water, and a healthy environment. 
EPA welcomes public feedback on the draft Framework by February 19, 2025,
through the Federal Register notice, and the link that will be available at
Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OLEM-2024-0360 on Regulations.gov.
Read the Interim Framework for Advancing Consideration of Cumulative
Impacts. 
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