Environmental justice is at the core of the work of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). Central to the strategy is bringing communities and their voices from across the country, into the policymaking process. When U.S. EPA officials and other policymakers set about this task, they are no doubt looking closely to California, which has been groundbreaking in addressing environmental justice concerns at the community level. “Our recent report, Actions on Air Quality in North America , shows how important it is to engage with frontline communities, who face the greatest challenges and often have some of the most practical solutions, on issues like air quality management. Communities in California, among others, are showing us the way forward here,” said Barbara Hendrie, Director of UN Environment Programme’s North America Office. In 2017, California passed Assembly Bill 617, or AB617, to employ community-based action to reduce air pollution that has historicall...
