With 43% of the U.S. population living in communities EPA ranks among the top 20% of pollution burden, this post unpacks the data behind environmental justice and why health, housing, and climate risks are so unevenly distributed.
Key Takeaways
- 43% of the U.S. population lives in communities that are in the top 20% of pollution burden
- EPA estimates that 6.7 million people live near major hazardous waste facilities as measured in its EJ-related analyses
- In 2015, 49% of residents of ‘environmental justice communities’ were low-income
- The CDC estimates that 1 in 5 U.S. children has asthma
- Asthma affects about 8.4% of Black children in the U.S.
- Asthma affects about 7.0% of Hispanic children in the U.S.
- The IPCC Sixth Assessment Report states that global warming of 1.5°C and above increases risks to health and well-being, with uneven impacts (environmental justice context)
- The IPCC AR6 states that each increment of global warming increases the likelihood of heat extremes and heavy precipitation events
- From 2000 to 2019, global sea level rose by about 3.7 mm per year (IPCC AR6)
- The EPA reports that in 2019 there were 51 Superfund sites with water quality impacts requiring long-term monitoring and remedies (documented per Superfund program data releases)
- The EPA’s Superfund program lists 1,334 current National Priorities List (NPL) sites (as of the most recent NPL count used in EPA materials)
- President Biden’s Executive Order 14008 established Justice40 and set the 40% benchmark for disadvantaged communities
Environmental justice communities face disproportionate pollution and health risks, with air, asthma, flooding, and legacy hazards still driving inequality.
Environmental Burden
143% of the U.S. population lives in communities that are in the top 20% of pollution burden[1]
Verified2EPA estimates that 6.7 million people live near major hazardous waste facilities as measured in its EJ-related analyses[2]
Verified3In 2015, 49% of residents of ‘environmental justice communities’ were low-income[3]
Verified4Communities with higher percentages of people of color are more likely to be located closer to hazardous waste sites, as shown in EPA’s analyses[4]
DirectionalEnvironmental Burden Interpretation
With 43% of Americans living in areas facing the top 20% of pollution burden and 49% of residents in environmental justice communities being low-income in 2015, the data show that pollution and hazardous waste risks are not only widespread but disproportionately concentrated among vulnerable populations, especially in communities with higher shares of people of color.
Health Outcomes
1The CDC estimates that 1 in 5 U.S. children has asthma[5]
Verified2Asthma affects about 8.4% of Black children in the U.S.[5]
Verified3Asthma affects about 7.0% of Hispanic children in the U.S.[5]
Verified4Asthma affects about 5.3% of White children in the U.S.[5]
Directional5In 2019, the death rate from chronic lower respiratory disease was higher among Black people than White people in the U.S.[6]
Single source6In 2021, the CDC reported that about 118,000 people died from chronic lower respiratory diseases in the U.S.[7]
Verified7The National Center for Health Statistics reports that in 2019, Black people had higher heart disease death rates than White people[8]
Verified8The U.S. EPA estimates that each year, exposure to air toxics in the U.S. causes about 20,000–30,000 excess cancer cases[9]
Verified9Traffic-related air pollution is linked with about a 20–30% increase in risk for asthma development in children in epidemiological studies[10]
Directional10In a meta-analysis, exposure to air pollution in pregnancy increased risk of preterm birth by about 5% per 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 (directional estimate reported across studies)[11]
Single source11The WHO estimates about 4.2 million premature deaths globally each year are attributable to ambient air pollution[12]
Verified12The WHO estimates about 7 million premature deaths globally each year are attributable to air pollution exposure from household and ambient sources combined[13]
Verified13The CDC reports that during 1999–2019, the U.S. averaged about 67,000 emergency department visits per year for asthma[5]
Verified14In a landmark study, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences estimated that environmental pollution contributes to substantial health burdens, including tens of thousands of premature deaths annually (as summarized across health reviews)[14]
DirectionalHealth Outcomes Interpretation
Asthma and other pollution linked diseases show stark inequality and scale, with CDC estimates that 1 in 5 U.S. children has asthma and WHO attributing about 7 million premature deaths each year worldwide to air pollution from both household and ambient sources.
Climate And Risk
1The IPCC Sixth Assessment Report states that global warming of 1.5°C and above increases risks to health and well-being, with uneven impacts (environmental justice context)[15]
Verified2The IPCC AR6 states that each increment of global warming increases the likelihood of heat extremes and heavy precipitation events[16]
Verified3From 2000 to 2019, global sea level rose by about 3.7 mm per year (IPCC AR6)[16]
Verified4The IPCC AR6 projects that global mean sea level will rise by 0.28–0.55 m by 2100 (depending on emissions scenario)[16]
Directional5The U.S. FEMA reports that over 40% of Americans live in counties at risk of flooding[17]
Single source6The NOAA NCEI ‘Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters’ shows 22 billion-dollar disasters in 2020[18]
Verified7NOAA NCEI records 22 billion-dollar disasters in 2021 (including storms, floods, drought/heat and wildfires)[18]
Verified8NOAA NCEI reports 20 billion-dollar disasters in 2022[18]
Verified9NOAA NCEI reports 18 billion-dollar disasters in 2023[18]
Directional10NOAA NCEI reports 28 billion-dollar disasters in 2024 (year-to-date figures vary by update cycle)[18]
Single source11In 2019, the U.S. experienced 1,000+ tornadoes (NOAA Storm Events), showing severe weather exposure that can disproportionately affect vulnerable communities[19]
Verified12NOAA reports that the U.S. averages about 1,200 tornadoes per year (multi-year climatology)[19]
Verified13The U.S. National Weather Service reports that the 100-year flood can occur more frequently as sea levels rise (risk framing quantified in NFIP materials)[20]
Verified14The IPCC AR6 WGII states it is very likely that extreme precipitation events will increase in frequency and/or intensity in many regions[21]
Directional15The IPCC AR6 states it is very likely that heatwaves will become more frequent and more intense in most regions[16]
Single source16The IPCC AR6 states that drought-affected areas are expected to increase, intensifying water stress[21]
Verified17NOAA NCEI reports that 2021 had 33 tropical cyclone-related billion-dollar disasters (including storms and flooding in the index)[18]
Verified18In the U.S., FEMA reports that 40% of small businesses do not reopen after disasters, affecting communities including EJ groups[17]
VerifiedClimate And Risk Interpretation
Across the past decade, U.S. disaster exposure has climbed alongside warming and rising seas, with NOAA NCEI counting 22 billion-dollar disasters in 2020, 22 in 2021, 20 in 2022, 18 in 2023, and surging to 28 in 2024 while FEMA notes that over 40% of Americans live in flood-risk counties.
Policy And Compliance
1The EPA reports that in 2019 there were 51 Superfund sites with water quality impacts requiring long-term monitoring and remedies (documented per Superfund program data releases)[22]
Verified2The EPA’s Superfund program lists 1,334 current National Priorities List (NPL) sites (as of the most recent NPL count used in EPA materials)[23]
Verified3President Biden’s Executive Order 14008 established Justice40 and set the 40% benchmark for disadvantaged communities[24]
Verified4Executive Order 12898 (Environmental Justice) was issued in 1994 and requires federal agencies to address environmental justice in their missions[25]
Directional5Executive Order 14096 (Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice) was issued in 2023 to strengthen EJ commitments across federal agencies[26]
Single source6The EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants include $3 billion for projects that can benefit disadvantaged communities through GHG and co-pollutant reductions[27]
Verified7The TRI database contains over 800 million rows of data across years (EPA TRI database overview metrics)[28]
Verified8EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule Improvements finalized in 2021 strengthen requirements that reduce lead exposure and are relevant to environmental justice communities with older plumbing[29]
Verified9The Lead and Copper Rule Improvements include a requirement for lead service line replacement upon property owner/utility triggers (rule text and fact sheet provide measurable obligations)[30]
DirectionalPolicy And Compliance Interpretation
Taken together, these figures show that environmental justice is being operationalized at scale, from 51 Superfund water-impact sites requiring long-term remedies to EPA support through Justice40 and Climate Pollution Reduction Grants totaling $3 billion for disadvantaged communities.
References
- 1epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-03/documents/2014_12_15_ej_bw_1.pdf
- 2epa.gov/sites/default/files/2018-08/documents/epa_ej_hazardous_waste.pdf
- 3epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-03/documents/2015ejtoolkit.pdf
- 4epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-08/documents/ej_hazardous_waste_siting.pdf
- 9epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-03/documents/air-toxics-health-effects.pdf
- 22epa.gov/superfund/superfund-sites-where-you-live
- 23epa.gov/superfund/superfund-national-priorities-list-npl
- 27epa.gov/inflation-reduction-act/climate-pollution-reduction-grants
- 28epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program/tri-data-and-tools
- 29epa.gov/sdwa/lead-and-copper-rule-improvements
- 5cdc.gov/asthma/most_recent_national_asthma_data.htm
- 6cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm
- 7cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/deaths.htm
- 8cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/heart-disease.htm
- 10ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6850217/
- 11pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28220306/
- 12who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ambient-(outdoor)-air-quality-and-health
- 13who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/household-air-pollution-and-health
- 14nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13127/effectiveness-of-adult-environmental-and-health-policies
- 15ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/
- 16ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/
- 21ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/
- 17fema.gov/fact-sheet/national-flood-insurance-program-flood-risk
- 20fema.gov/floodplain-management/flood-risk-management/national-flood-insurance-program
- 18ncei.noaa.gov/access/billions/
- 19ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/tornadoes/
- 24federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/27/2021-01706/building-a-climate-resilient-economy
- 26federalregister.gov/documents/2023/04/21/2023-08218/revitalizing-our-nations-commitment-to-environmental-justice
- 30federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/15/2021-00828/lead-and-copper-rule-improvements
- 25archives.gov/files/federal-register/executive-orders/pdf/12898.pdf