BACKGROUND: There is a body of evidence which suggests that, in certain instances around the country, minority and lower income citizens/neighborhoods/communities have faced an inequitable share of the risks associated with environmental hazards.

While the issues and concerns regarding environmental equity (also commonly referred to an environmental justice) vary from state to state and from community to community, the core issue is one of fairness in the siting, monitoring, and/or cleanup of facilities and the regulation of activities that represent environmental hazards. The documentation on this issue at the national level suggests that, for a variety of reasons not necessarily discriminatory by intent, minority and lower income populations have sometimes borne a disproportionate share of the risks from activities which cause air, water, or soil pollution.

One of the primary factors contributing to "environmental inequities" is the location of many minority and lower income populations in more densely developed and industrialized areas with greater concentrations of environmental hazards. While this suggests that environmental equity is more of an urban issue, there are other factors such as siting decisions which apply to all areas of the state. What is important is to recognize that inequities may exist and to make a commitment to work to eliminate them. The following policy statement and implementation strategy represent such a recognition and commitment.

POLICY STATEMENT: The NH Department of Environmental Services will, within its authority, ensure fair and equitable treatment of all New Hampshire citizens in the implementation of federal and state environmental laws, rules, programs, and policies.

1. Post the Environmental Equity Policy throughout the department, and provide a copy to all staff;
2. Use the Environmental Protection Agency’s national criteria for identifying areas of concern according to race, ethnicity, economic status, or community, as modified for New Hampshire, in implementing the Environmental Equity Policy;
3. Develop and distribute written guidance and provide training on incorporating the Environmental Equity Policy into the department's daily decisions or actions. These decisions or actions take the form of such things as development: public education and outreach; technical assistance; rulemaking; permit reviews; compliance monitoring; enforcement actions; emergency response; complaint response; and site cleanup.
4. Incorporate the Environmental Equity Policy into all appropriate annual work plans and grant applications; and
5. Add implementation of the Environmental Equity Policy as a specific objective in the department's Strategic Plan, and monitor progress with implementation as part of the annual review of the Strategic Plan.