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Vantage to Pomona Heights Chapter 3 230 kV Transmission Line Project FEIS Affected Environment PAGE 3-237 3.10 ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE As was done in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS), this section describes the existing conditions (affected environment) and considers issues related to environmental justice (EJ) along all Action Alternatives presented in the DEIS and SDEIS, including those raised during scoping. This Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) section consolidates and builds on the information presented in the January 2013 DEIS as well as the January 2015 SDEIS and includes references to those documents throughout the text where appropriate. This FEIS identifies the New Northern Route (NNR) Alternative – Overhead Design Option as the Environmentally Preferred Alternative and has selected the NNR Alternative – Overhead Design Option as the Agency Preferred Alternative. 3.10.1 Regulatory Framework Executive Order 12898, Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-income Populations (Federal Register 1994) was enacted to reinforce Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In the Civil Rights Act, it is stated that “No person in the United States shall, on the grounds of race, color, or national origin be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance” (United States Code [U.S.C.] §1964). Executive Order 12898 states, “Each Federal agency shall make achieving environmental justice part of its mission by identifying and addressing, as appropriate, disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of its programs, policies, and activities on minority populations and low-income populations” (Federal Register 1994). Additional guidance from the President’s Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) clarified that EJ concerns could arise from effects on the natural and physical environment that produce human health or ecological outcomes or from adverse social or economic changes. The Executive Order requires that impacts on minority or low-income populations be analyzed for the geographical area in which the Project would be located to determine if there would be a disproportionately high and adverse impact on minority and/or low-income populations. If the demographic analysis reveals that disproportionately high and adverse impacts would occur, mitigation then needs to be proposed to address the effects. Standard approved methods for evaluation of EJ impacts are included within the CEQ document, “Environmental Justice Guidance under the National Environmental Policy Act” (NEPA; CEQ 1997). These methods were used for the evaluation of the proposed Project that is described in this section. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) defines “environmental justice” as the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Fair treatment means that no group of people should bear a disproportionate burden of environmental harms and risks, including those resulting from the negative environmental consequences of industrial, governmental, and commercial operations or programs and policies. Meaningful involvement means that: 1) potentially affected community members have an appropriate opportunity to participate in decisions about a proposed activity that will affect their environment and/or health; 2) the public’s contribution can influence the regulatory agency’s decision; 3) the concerns of all participants involved will be considered in the decision-making process; and 4) the decision-makers seek out and facilitate the involvement of those potentially affected. An action may involve an EJ concern if it could: • Create new disproportionate impacts on minority, low-income, or indigenous populations.