Executive Order 12898: Federal actions to address environmental justice in minority populations and low-income populations

Executive Order 12898, signed by President Clinton on February 11, 1994, directs all federal agencies to identify and address disproportionately high and adverse health or environmental impacts on minority and low-income populations as part of their core mission. The order establishes an Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice, led by the EPA Administrator, to coordinate agency strategies, research, and data collection. Each federal agency is required to develop and finalize an environmental justice strategy within 12 months, ensuring that federal programs do not discriminate based on race, color, or national origin.

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Executive Order 12898, signed by President Clinton on February 11, 1994, directs federal agencies to make environmental justice part of their mission by identifying and addressing disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects on minority and low-income populations. The order establishes an Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice and requires each federal agency to develop an agency-wide environmental justice strategy within 12 months. It also mandates research, data collection, and public participation processes to address environmental disparities.

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