The term environmental justice refers to the fair and equitable treatment and participation of all peoples, regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, color, or socioeconomic class, with respect to the development and implementation of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. It aims to ensure that all people enjoy the same degree of protection from environmental risks and hazards, equal access to natural resources and environmental benefits, as well as equal access to information and decision making, thus ensuring a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and work.

It is possible to identify two critical dimensions of environmental justice: (1) protecting human health and the environment in places where people live, learn, and work; and (2) developing grassroots leadership and community-based planning and policy approaches that meet ...