Purposes and Uses of EJScreen
EJScreen allows users to access high-resolution environmental and demographic information for locations in the United States, and compare their selected locations to the rest of the state, EPA region, or the nation.
The tool may help users identify areas with:
- People of color and/or low-income populations
- Potential environmental quality issues
- A combination of environmental and demographic indicators that is greater than usual
- Other factors that may be of interest
EJScreen may also be used to support:
- Educational programs
- Grant writing
- Community awareness efforts
- Other purposes
This screening tool and data may be of interest to community residents or other stakeholders as they search for environmental or demographic information. It can also support a wide range of research and policy goals. The public has used EJScreen in many different locations and in many different ways.
EPA is sharing EJScreen with the public:
- to be more transparent about how we consider environmental justice in our work,
- to assist our stakeholders in making informed decisions about pursuing environmental justice and
- to create a common starting point between the agency and the public when looking at issues related to environmental justice.
Screening tools should be used for a "screening-level" look. Screening is a useful first step in understanding or highlighting locations that may be candidates for further review. However, it is essential to remember that screening-level results:
- do not, by themselves, determine the existence or absence of environmental justice concerns in a given location
- they do not provide a risk assessment and
- have other significant limitations.