The final EJ Policy is not only a milestone in updating the over 20-year-old policy, but will be used to guide DEP protections for communities most vulnerable to environmental challenges.
“Vulnerable communities exist in every region of the Commonwealth — rural and urban alike. This updated policy builds on DEP’s commitment to proactively educate, engage, and empower Pennsylvanians living in EJ areas,” said DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley. “Addressing environmental justice challenges is part of our mission, and with this policy, we are demonstrating our commitment to protecting the environment for all of Pennsylvania’s communities.”
The updated EJ policy directs how DEP's inspection, compliance, and enforcement efforts can better include criteria and concerns of Pennsylvania communities most at risk from pollution and other environmental impacts.
Furthermore, the policy outlines the ways in which DEP plans to increase outreach across Pennsylvania and build long-lasting relationships with communities impacted by environmental challenges.
In 2023, DEP announced an interim final policy and collected feedback from communities throughout Pennsylvania.
During the extensive comment period, DEP received over 700 comments which were extensively reviewed and are addressed in a Comment Response Document.
The updated policy will continue to place a large emphasis on public participation and proactive conversations among DEP’s EJ staff that have been engaging with communities in designated environmental justice areas, based on 32 environmental, health, and socioeconomic indicators.
This enhanced public participation helps to improve environmental safeguards for communities without extending beyond existing statute or regulation by empowering Pennsylvanians to learn more about specific projects and the environmental factors impacting their communities, and help those seeking a permit to better understand community concerns.
This engagement allows DEP to be more efficient when receiving public comment, improving permitting processes.
Upon taking office, Gov. Josh Shapiro elevated environmental justice by creating the first Special Deputy Secretary for Environmental Justice position and growing the office by adding an Environmental Justice coordinator to each of DEP’s six regional offices.
PennEnviroScreen
DEP has also updated PennEnviroScreen, a state-of-the-art mapping tool used to identify EJ areas across Pennsylvania, using the most updated data available and the 2020 Census geographical boundaries.
It is more user-friendly, with clearer visual outlines, short data descriptions of all the environmental justice indicators, and more useful data supplements to allow Pennsylvanians to use PennEnviroScreen for education, research, local governance, and community development.
This approach, in the environmental justice context, continues to help DEP improve permitting processes while continuing to cut down on wait times.
For more information about the final EJ policy, please visit DEP’s Office of Environmental Justice webpage.
Click Here for a copy of the Final Policy.
Click Here for the PennEnviroScreen Tool.
Click Here for Comment/Response Documents.
Click Here for a copy of the Interim Final EJ Policy published in 2023.
Click Here for the DEP announcement.
For more information on environmental programs in Pennsylvania, visit DEP’s website. Submit Environmental Complaints; Click Here to sign up for DEP’s newsletter; sign up for DEP’s eNotice; Like DEP on Facebook, Follow DEP on Twitter and visit DEP’s YouTube Channel.
NewsClip:
-- The Center Square: Updated DEP Environmental Justice Policy At Odds With President’s Agenda
Resource Links:
-- La Administración del Gobernador Josh Shapiro Mejora Protecciones Ambientales para Comunidades en Pensilvania, Aumentando Enlace Comunitario con una Nueva Política Pública Sobre Justicia Ambiental
-- DEP Publishes Final Environmental Justice Permit Review And Public Participation Policy, Update To PennEnviroScreen EJ Tool [PaEN]
[Posted: January 5, 2026] PA Environment Digest
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