EJ Index Descriptions
The Environmental Justice Indexes
The EJ Indexes are a combination of environmental and socioeconomic information. There are thirteen EJ Indexes in EJScreen reflecting the 13 environmental indicators. The 13 EJ Indexes are:
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EJ Index - Particulate Matter 2.5 (level in air)
The Particulate Matter (PM)2.5 EJ Index combines the environmental burden indicator for PM2.5 with the demographic index (an average of % low-income and % people of color) for each census block group.
The environmental burden indicator for PM2.5 measures the potential exposure to inhalable particles 2.5 microns or smaller (about 30 times smaller than the width of human hair) in terms of annual average concentration in micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3). EJScreen presents PM2.5 concentrations using percentile rank, ranging from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest). This indicator does not designate compliance with the national ambient air quality standard for PM2.5. Source: EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation
For more details on the PM2.5 indicator, including why it is important and what you can do moving forward, please visit the EJScreen Indicator Overview for PM2.5.
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EJ Index - Ozone (level in air)
The Ozone EJ Index combines the environmental burden indicator for ozone with the demographic index (an average of % low-income and % people of color) for each census block group.
The environmental burden indicator for ozone measures how much ground-level ozone people might be exposed to by looking at the highest levels of ozone recorded at the ground-level and averaging the top ten days of the year. Ozone concentrations were measured as daily maximum eight-hour averages. EJScreen presents ground-level ozone concentrations using percentile rank, ranging from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest). This indicator does not designate compliance with the national ambient air quality standard for ozone. Source: EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation
For more details on the ozone indicator, including why it is important and what you can do moving forward, please visit the EJScreen Indicator Overview for Ozone.
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EJ Index - Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) (level in air)
The NO2 EJ Index combines the environmental burden indicator for NO2 with the demographic index (an average of % low-income and % people of color) for each census block group.
The environmental burden indicator for NO2 measures how much surface level NO2 people might be exposed to in terms of annual average concentration in parts per billion. EJScreen presents surface level NO2 concentrations using percentile rank, ranging from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest). This indicator does not designate compliance with the national ambient air quality standard for NO2. Source: Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center.
For more details on the NO2 indicator, including why it is important and what you can do moving forward, please visit the EJScreen Indicator Overview for NO2.
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EJ Index - Diesel Particulate Matter (level in air)
The Diesel Particulate Matter (PM) EJ Index combines the environmental burden indicator for diesel PM with the demographic index (an average of % low-income and % people of color) for each census block group.
The environmental burden indicator for diesel PM measures how much diesel PM (a mixture of particles from diesel exhaust) people might be exposed to in terms of micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3). EJScreen presents diesel PM concentrations using percentile rank, ranging from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest). Source: EPA’s Air Toxics Screening Assessment.
For more details on the diesel PM indicator, including why it is important and what you can do moving forward, please visit the EJScreen Indicator Overview for Diesel PM.
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EJ Index - Toxic Releases to Air
The Toxic Releases to Air EJ Index combines the environmental burden indicator for toxic releases to air with the demographic index (an average of % low-income and % people of color) for each census block group.
The environmental burden indicator for toxic releases to air measures the average annual chemical concentrations in air weighted by the toxicity of each chemical. This indicator includes chemicals covered by EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program which can cause cancer, other significant human health effects, are reactive, ignitable, or cause significant adverse environmental effects. EJScreen presents these toxic releases using percentile rank, ranging from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest). Source: EPA’s RSEI Geographic Microdata.
For more details on the toxic releases to air indicator, including why it is important and what you can do moving forward, please visit the EJScreen Indicator Overview for Toxic Releases to Air.
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EJ Index - Traffic Proximity and Volume
The Traffic Proximity EJ Index combines the environmental burden indicator for traffic proximity with the demographic index (an average of % low-income and % people of color) for each census block group.
The environmental burden indicator for traffic proximity measures the count of vehicles per day (average annual daily traffic- AADT) divided by distance. EJScreen presents traffic proximity using percentile rank, ranging from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest). Source: U.S. Department of Transportation National Transportation Atlas Database, Highway Performance Monitoring System.
For more details on the traffic proximity indicator, including why it is important and what you can do moving forward, please visit the EJScreen Indicator Overview for Traffic Proximity.
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EJ Index - Lead Paint (% pre-1960 housing)
The Lead Paint EJ Index combines the environmental burden indicator for lead paint with the demographic index (an average of % low-income and % people of color) for each census block group.
The environmental burden indicator for lead paint is based on the percentage of housing units built before 1960, a proxy for how much lead paint people might be exposed to. EJScreen presents this potential exposure to lead paint using percentile rank, ranging from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest). Source: Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year summary estimates.
For more details on the lead paint indicator, including why it is important and what you can do moving forward, please visit the EJScreen Indicator Overview for Lead Paint.
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EJ Index - Superfund Proximity
The Superfund Proximity EJ Index combines the environmental burden indicator for Superfund proximity with the demographic index (an average of % low-income and % people of color) for each census block group.
The environmental burden indicator for Superfund proximity measures how close people might live to sites listed on the National Priorities List (NPL). This indicator calculates the total count of sites proposed and listed on the NPL within 5 km (or nearest within 10 km), divided by distance. EJScreen presents Superfund proximity using percentile rank, ranging from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest). Source: EPA’s CERCLIS database.
For more details on the Superfund proximity indicator, including why it is important and what you can do moving forward, please visit the EJScreen Indicator Overview for Superfund Proximity.
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EJ Index - Risk Management Program (RMP) Facility Proximity
The RMP Facility Proximity EJ Index combines the environmental burden indicator for RMP facility proximity with the demographic index (an average of % low-income and % people of color) for each census block group.
The environmental burden indicator for RMP facility proximity measures how close people might live to an active facility with a required Risk Management Plan (potential chemical accident management plan). This indicator calculates the total count of RMP facilities within 5 km (or nearest within 10 km), divided by distance. EJScreen presents RMP facility proximity using percentile rank, ranging from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest). Source: EPA’s RMP database.
For more details on the RMP facility proximity indicator, including why it is important and what you can do moving forward, please visit the EJScreen Indicator Overview for RMP Facility Proximity.
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EJ Index - Hazardous Waste Proximity
The Hazardous Waste Proximity EJ Index combines the environmental burden indicator for hazardous waste proximity with the demographic index (an average of % low-income and % people of color) for each census block group.
The environmental burden indicator for hazardous waste proximity measures how close people might live to a facility that handles hazardous waste. This indicator calculates the total count of hazardous waste facilities (TSDFs and LQGs) within 5 km (or nearest within 10 km), divided by distance. EJScreen presents hazardous waste proximity using percentile rank, ranging from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest). Source: EPA’s RCRAInfo database.
For more details on the hazardous waste indicator, including why it is important and what you can do moving forward, please visit the EJScreen Indicator Overview for Hazardous Waste Proximity.
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EJ Index - Underground Storage Tanks (UST)
The UST EJ Index combines the environmental burden indicator for UST with the demographic index (an average of % low-income and % people of color) for each census block group.
The environmental burden indicator for UST measures how many underground storage tanks and UST release sites are near where people live. This indicator is based on the sum of LUSTs and USTs within a 1,500-foot buffered block group. EJScreen presents this relative density of USTs using percentile rank, ranging from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest). Source: EPA’s UST Finder tool.
For more details on the UST indicator, including why it is important and what you can do moving forward, please visit the EJScreen Indicator Overview for UST.
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EJ Index - Wastewater Discharge (Stream Proximity and Toxic Concentration)
The Wastewater Discharge EJ Index combines the environmental burden indicator for wastewater discharge with the demographic index (an average of % low-income and % people of color) for each census block group.
The environmental burden indicator for wastewater discharge measures how much relative risk there is of being exposed to pollutants from wastewater that flows into rivers or other bodies of water downstream. This relative risk is based on estimated concentrations of pollutants in downstream water bodies within 500 meters, divided by distance in km. EJScreen presents wastewater discharge proximity using percentile rank, ranging from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest). Source: EPA’s RSEI modeled toxic concentrations to stream reach segments.
For more details on the wastewater discharge indicator, including why it is important and what you can do moving forward, please visit the EJScreen Indicator Overview for Wastewater Discharge.
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EJ Index - Drinking Water Non-Compliance
The Drinking Water Non-Compliance EJ Index combines the environmental burden indicator for drinking water non-compliance with the demographic index (an average of % low-income and % people of color) for each census block group.
The environmental burden indicator for drinking water non-compliance highlights populations served by community water systems that have challenges complying with Safe Drinking Water Act requirements. Points are calculated using a modified version of EPA’s Enforcement Targeting Tool criteria, which accounts for violation severity and age. EJScreen presents drinking water non-compliance using percentile rank, ranging from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest). Source: EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Information System & Drinking Water Enforcement Response Policy and Enforcement Targeting Tool.
For more details on the drinking water non-compliance indicator, including why it is important and what you can do moving forward, please visit the EJScreen Indicator Overview for Drinking Water Non-Compliance.