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USING THE GUIDEBOOK
The guidebook is organized by general types of effects. We selected this structure because it is
the most logical way to present methods for issues such as visual quality, transportation safety,
and noise that have their own specific techniques. Whether you are evaluating a regional
investment plan, a statewide transportation policy, or a specific transportation corridor or project
alternatives, you should structure the environmental justice assessment around the following
questions:
· What types of effects should be analyzed?
· What are the appropriate methods for each effect given the problem at hand?
· What is the appropriate time horizon?
Once you have general answers to the first question, you can refer to the chapters that address the
effects you've selected and evaluate the available methods. Each chapter includes sections that
discuss these general topics:
· Overview. An introduction to the chapter discussing the effect or effects being addressed
and why those effects could have environmental justice implications.
· State of the practice. The state of practice for evaluating the effects and for evaluating
environmental justice.
· Selecting an appropriate method of analysis. Guidance on situations in which the
various methods are appropriate to use. For more information, see the discussion on
"Identifying Appropriate Methods" below.
· Methods. Each method or technique is discussed in detail. For more information, see our
discussion on "Identifying appropriate methods" below.
· Resources. We cite articles, books, and Internet sources that are especially helpful if
further information is desired. Many of the resources also are cited as references within
the chapter.
· References. A list of additional articles, books, and Internet sources cited in the chapter.
This guidebook also contains four appendices and a glossary. Appendix A contains a summary
of important environmental justice statutes and regulations. Appendix B presents a summary of
important environmental justice case law. Appendix C provides information on geographic
information systems (GIS) that is mentioned in various guidebook chapters but not discussed in
detail. Finally, Appendix D provides information on use of current U.S. Census data products.
Choosing effects to consider for analysis. The types of effects to evaluate for environmental
justice will vary depending on the specific circumstances of the policy, program, or project at
hand; the level of local sensitivity to environmental justice issues; and the planning context
within which the problem is being addressed. As part of the community planning process,
techniques can be used to identify effects of greatest concern to local residents and to inform
residents about the effects identified from engineering, environmental, and planning studies.
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If the analysis is performed as part of a statewide or regional planning process, federal and local
agency policy will dictate the types of effects that should be addressed. In this context, most
issues will be related to questions of resource distribution and determining whether plans meet
the long-term needs of all populations within the planning area. If the environmental justice
evaluation is performed as part of an environmental assessment (EA) or environmental impact
statement (EIS), the type of project and applicable state and federal regulations will dictate the
types of effects to be assessed.
In all situations, it is important to prioritize effects. Prioritization can be based on factors such as
level of public concern and potential consequences. More advanced methods should be used to
evaluate effects in cases where public concern is high or the consequences could be substantial.
More basic methods can be used to evaluate effects where less substantial consequences can be
expected or public concern is not as great.
Identifying appropriate methods. Each chapter of this guidebook includes a table that
summarizes criteria to use in selecting an appropriate method of analysis. The table can be used
as a concise list of the methods discussed in the chapter and can be quickly reviewed to identify
specific methods to read about in more detail. Within the discussion for each method, further
information is provided to help you understand appropriate uses. The criteria listed in the tables
and their definitions are below:
· Assessment level. Screening assessment/initial review or detailed analysis.
· Appropriate uses. Regional plans, investment plans, system assessment, corridor
studies, project level studies.
· Use when. Brief description of types of issues that can be evaluated.
· Data needs. There are three levels of data needs:
Low - Data are readily available and processing demands are minor.
Medium - Data are generally available, must budget for acquisition/processing costs.
High - Data may be costly to acquire, processing requirements may be extensive.
· Expertise required. Listing of types of expertise needed to perform the assessment.
To the fullest extent possible, we have included methods in each chapter that vary in
sophistication and complexity. As a general principle, you should use the least complex method
that is sufficient for the problem at hand. The most complex methods should be reserved for
cases when the potential impact is likely to be relatively major and when the affected population
regards the impact as particularly important.
Once you select from the table a specific method to review, you can turn to the section that
discusses that method in detail. Presentation of each method is similar, and includes a discussion
of the following topics:
· When to use. A description of the types of situations in which this method provides
informative results and for which it should be considered.
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· Analysis. A concise discussion of the various techniques that can be used to apply the
method or the sequence of steps required to carry out the method.
· Data needs, assumptions, and limitations. As appropriate to the specific method, this
discussion presents the data required to perform the analysis, the types of expertise
required to perform the analysis, and limitations of the technique that must be considered.
· Results and their presentation. Simple examples of results obtained from the method
and ways in which the results can be prepared for presentation to the general public and
to decision makers.
· Assessment. A final overview summarizing the most important points made about the
method in the previous discussion.
Selecting the proper time horizon. The planning process is organized into a series of
disciplines, each with different objectives and time horizons. It is important to consider
environmental justice within each planning discipline. The process begins with long-range
statewide and regional transportation plans that are updated on a regular basis to reflect changing
needs and priorities. At the other end of the planning process are studies to define and select
specific projects. Policies and programs developed by federal, state, and metropolitan
transportation agencies govern this process.
Environmental justice is achieved by ensuring that policies and programs are fair and that all
citizens have access to the planning process. Policies can also have direct effects on outcomes.
One example is a policy implemented in California to reduce air pollution by retrofitting diesel
engines. This policy has a distributive effect in part because large diesel-operated vehicles travel
predominantly on freeways and major arterials that tend to have a large proportion of protected
populations nearby. Many of the methods in this guidebook are suitable to evaluating such
policies.
Studies with a long time horizon should consider how population characteristics might change
within the plan's time span. Population projection may also be useful to predict future
demographic changes in areas affected by specific projects. Practitioners must be aware that
population projection is an extremely inexact science and should expect that population trends
will need to be updated regularly.
In general, the complexity of analysis and level of detail required will be greater for project
planning and corridor studies than for long-range transportation plans and investment plans. This
is in part because of the nature of the problem--because projects are specific, their effects can be
more precisely predicted, and they generally affect smaller areas and smaller numbers of users.
In contrast, long-range plans usually are less fine-grained in nature and therefore tend to rely on
more generalized information. Also, the greatest level of public concern is usually expressed at
the project-planning level because the effects of the decision will be experienced in the short
term. That said, it must be kept in mind that long-range transportation plans can have great
potential to improve or worsen the circumstances facing protected populations, so environmental
justice definitely is highly relevant to these plans, as well.
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