Guidance on Environmental Justice Issued by EPA.

EPA recently published two draft documents intended to offer guidance and clarification on environmental justice issues. The Draft Recipient Guidance assists state and local recipients of EPA financial assistance in developing policies and procedures to address potential concerns raised under Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The Draft Revised Investigation Guidance describes procedures EPA staff may use to perform its investigations into complaints that allege adverse impacts caused by permitting decisions. President Clinton issued an executive order that applied the 1964 Civil Rights Act to all programs and policies of federally funded entities that affect human health and the environment, including state agencies. In response, EPA has tried to impose new requirements on state agencies that issue environmental permits for industrial and/or waste-disposal operations to ensure that minorities and the poor do not bear a disproportionate" share of risk. The issues of environmental justice and how EPA responds to complaints filed under the Civil Rights Act are of significant importance to the metalcasting industry. Applicants for permits or permit renewals may be required in the future to consider psychological and social effects their emissions have on minority or disadvantaged populations. Such requirements could make it virtually impossible to obtain the necessary permits to expand, update or operate a manufacturing operation. In 1998, the agency issued its Interim Guidance for Investigating Title VI Administrative Complaints Challenging Permits. It was open to public comment, and EPA received more than 120 such comments. In addition, EPA established an advisory committee to assist in the development of the revised guidance. Copies of the environmental justice guidance documents are available on the EPA Office of Civil Rights website, which can be accessed via www.moderncasting.com. EPA is accepting ublic comments through August 27.