Address environmental challenges that disproportionately affect specific populations and disinvested areas

As documented by the environmental justice movement, environmental issues tend to have disproportionate impacts on specific populations, including people who are low income, of color, or have limited English proficiency. For instance, the health and well-being of these residents are frequently affected by the environmental hazards arising from the disproportionate location of brownfields, landfills, and freight and industrial facilities within their communities. Similarly, research suggests that those who might be at increased exposure to heat waves include people of color, residents with limited English proficiency, those with family income below the poverty line, the elderly, children, and those with existing health conditions.^{{{The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provides research related to climate vulnerability, see https://www.epa.gov/heat-islands/heat-island-impacts.}}}

Other challenges, ranging from repetitive flooding to lead exposure in drinking water lines, could also be due to a lack of investment and maintenance that are particularly acute in disinvested areas. As infrastructure managers work to balance budgets or address the backlog of deferred maintenance, higher service fees can be particularly difficult for low-income residents to absorb. In general, more research is needed to determine the impacts of environmental issues on different population groups and meaningful strategies to address them. Any such effort must deeply engage the affected communities to ensure that solutions reflect local needs.