EPA, through its Office of Research and Development, advanced the development of science relevant to EJ in three areas: community assessment and mapping tools, grants and university centers, and convening and responding to the NEJAC research workgroup recommendations on EPA research. These tools help to advance areas such as cumulative exposure, risks and impacts.

Read the implementation plan on science tools development (PDF)(45 pp, 1 MB, About PDF)

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• Developed the Community-Focused Exposure and Risk Screening Tool (C-FERST), a web-based tool for conducting cumulative human exposure and risk screening assessments, to help build sustainable and healthy communities.
   
• Developed the Tribal-Focused Environmental Risk and Sustainability Tool (T-FERST), a web-based geospatial decision support tool that will serve as a research framework and developmental platform to provide tribes easy access to best available human health and ecological science.
   
• EPA has also been developing the Community Cumulative Assessment Tool (CCAT), a computerized, guided process that informs users of the steps involved in a cumulative risk assessment.
   
• Completed seven community cumulative assessment grants focused on understanding the role of nonchemical stressors and developing analytical methods for cumulative risk assessments
   
• Awarded ten pilot grants jointly with the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) for Centers of Excellence on the Environment and Health Disparities. These grants focus on disparities in health outcomes and access to healthy community environments.
   
• Developing an overarching framework for EJ research at EPA in response to recommendations from the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council regarding ways to promote meaningful and continuous participatory processes, customizing tools and outputs to be more effective for local decision makers and impacted communities, and assessing the impact of EPA’s research.

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