HHS has issued a request for information on its outline of the Environmental Justice Strategy and Implementation Plan for 2022.
The agency said that part of its mission is to achieve environmental justice. In line with its strategy, it said "HHS would like to identify priority actions and strategies to best address environmental injustices and health inequities for people of color, disadvantaged, vulnerable, low-income, marginalized, and indigenous populations."
Many vulnerable groups are disproportionately exposed to environmental conditions that can lead to poor health, including dirty water, poor air quality and lead exposure. Combined with low economic and social living standards, such conditions can cause bad health and damage communities according to the HHS RFI.
The ultimate goal of the strategy and implementation plan is to guide the department's approach to these issues and identify the priority actions. It is welcoming input and engagement from the public to help put together the plan, which is currently in a draft form.
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