EPA Releases Indicators of Environmental Health Disparities
This release shares data on disparities across race/ethnicity and socio-economic status in a set of six environmental and public health outcomes.
EPA has released the pilot Indicators of Environmental Health Disparities. The intent of these indicators is to illustrate the disparities in key environmental and public health issues and describe EPA’s activities that may contribute to reductions in these disparities and overall health burdens. These indicators are intended as an informational tool and are not intended for use in agency decision making.
These indicators were developed in direct response to EPA’s FY2022-2026 Strategic Plan, which calls on EPA to assemble a set of indicators to assess EPA’s performance in reducing disparities in environmental and public health conditions.
The pilot six indicators include:
- Blood Lead Levels
- Population in Monitored Counties Meeting PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)
- Age-adjusted Hypertension
- Adverse Birth Outcomes
- Childhood Asthma Prevalence
- Life Expectancy
Each of these indicators represents an environmental health concern or potential health impact that is shaped by a wide range of factors, including lifestyle choices, genetic predisposition, and other factors outside of EPA’s jurisdiction. However, through actions under its statutory authorities, grantmaking, and partnerships with federal agencies as well as state, local, and Tribal authorities, EPA is working to help mitigate environmental contributions to these health outcomes and disparities, in alignment with its mission to protect human health and the environment for all individuals.
The selection of these indicators was informed by EPA’s scientific expertise as well as decades of statutorily authorized activities that the Agency has undertaken to advance its mission and to achieve measurable environmental, public health, and quality of life improvements in overburdened, vulnerable, and underserved communities.
To learn more about the indicators, visit EPA’s Indicators of Environmental Health Disparities webpage.
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