CalEnviroScreen is a mapping tool that helps identify California communities that are most affected by many sources of pollution, and where people are often especially vulnerable to pollution’s effects. CalEnviroScreen uses environmental, health, and socioeconomic information to produce scores for every census tract in the state. The scores are mapped so that different communities can be compared. An area with a high score is one that experiences a much higher pollution burden than areas with low scores. CalEnviroScreen ranks communities based on data that are available from state and federal government sources.

CalEnviroScreen identifies California communities by census tract that are disproportionately burdened by, and vulnerable to, multiple sources of pollution.Source link: https://oehha.ca.gov/calenviroscreen/report/calenviroscreen-30

The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), on behalf of the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA), announces the availability of the Communities Environmental Health Screening Tool: CalEnviroScreen Version 4.0. CalEnviroScreen is a screening methodology that can be used to help identify California communities that are disproportionately burdened by multiple sources of pollution. The 4.0 report and supporting documents are available at: http://oehha.ca.gov/calenviroscreen/report/calenviroscreen-40

CalEnviroScreen 4.0 was released in October 2021 as part of continued efforts by the CalEPA’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to map cumulative impacts of environmental health conditions across California. For more information on CalEnviroScreen, please visit our website or see our report.

The CalEnviroScreen 4.0 Data Dashboard is an interactive online tool used for filtering and visualizing the latest CalEnviroScreen data. This tool enables users to select areas of interest based on various geographies, CalEnviroScreen scores, percentile ranges or thresholds for any combination of the 21 CalEnviroScreen indicators. It can also select areas by ethnic or racial makeup. Users can view data summaries and maps that update automatically as different filters are selected and applied. All the results are downloadable as a spreadsheet.

This map shows the 2022 disadvantaged communities designated by CalEPA for the purpose of SB 535. These areas represent:

• Highest scoring 25% of census tracts from CalEnviroScreen 4.0, along with census tracts scoring in the top 5% of the Pollution Burden indicator but without an overall CalEnviroScreen score due to due to unavailable or unreliable Population Characteristics indicator data and score.
• All census tracts currently identified as disadvantaged but not in the highest scoring 25% census tracts in version 4.0 (i.e., the highest scoring 25% of census tracts in CalEnviroScreen 3.0 along with the census tracts with the highest 5% Pollution Burden scores, but without an overall CalEnviroScreen score). See the Disadvantaged Communities 2017 map here.
• Federally recognized tribal areas as identified by the Census in the 2021 American Indian Areas Related National Geodatabase. A Tribe may establish that a particular area of land is under its control, for purposes of this designation, by requesting a consultation with the CalEPA Deputy Secretary for Environmental Justice, Tribal Affairs and Border Relations at TribalAffairs@calepa.ca.gov

This layer maps the percentile of PM 2.5 pollution among California census tracts as calculated by the Communities Environmental Health Screening Tool (CalEnviroScreen) created by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) on behalf of the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA)CalEnviroScreen is a screening methodology that can be used to help identify California communities that are disproportionately burdened by multiple sources of pollution. The methodology is described in the current version (3.0) report and supporting documents available at http://oehha.ca.gov/calenviroscreen/report/calenviroscreen-30 .

Abstract

MEJ aims to create easy-to-use, publicly-available maps that paint a holistic picture of intersecting environmental, social, and health impacts experienced by communities across the US.

With guidance from the residents of impacted communities, MEJ combines environmental, public health, and demographic data into an indicator of vulnerability for communities in every state. MEJ’s goal is to fill an existing data gap for individual states without environmental justice mapping tools, and to provide a valuable tool for advocates, scholars, students, lawyers, and policy makers.

Methodology

The negative effects of pollution depend on a combination of vulnerability and exposure. People living in poverty, for example, are more likely to develop asthma or die due to air pollution. The method MEJ uses, following the method developed for CalEnviroScreen, reflects this in the two overall components of a census tract’s final “Cumulative EJ Impact”: population characteristics and pollution burden. The CalEnviroScreen methodology was developed through an intensive, multi-year effort to develop a science-backed, peer-reviewed tool to assess environmental justice in a holistic way, and has since been replicated by several other states.

CalEnviroScreen Methodology:

• Population characteristics are a combination of socioeconomic data (often referred to as the social determinants of health) and health data that together reflect a populations' vulnerability to pollutants. Pollution burden is a combination of direct exposure to a pollutant and environmental effects, which are adverse environmental conditions caused by pollutants, such as toxic waste sites or wastewater releases. Together, population characteristics and pollution burden help describe the disproportionate impact that environmental pollution has on different communities.

• Every indicator is ranked as a percentile from 0 to 100 and averaged with the others of the same component to form an overall score for that component. Each component score is then percentile ranked to create a component percentile. The Sensitive Populations component score, for example, is the average of a census tract’s Asthma, Low Birthweight Infants, and Heart Disease indicator percentiles, and the Sensitive Populations component percentile is the percentile rank of the Sensitive Populations score.

• The Population Characteristics score is the average of the Sensitive Populations component score and the Socioeconomic Factors component score. The Population Characteristics percentile is the percentile rank of the Population Characteristics score.

• The Pollution Burden score is the average of the Pollution Exposure component score and one half of the Environmental Effects component score (Environmental Effects may have a smaller effect on health outcomes than the indicators included the Exposures component so are weighted half as much as Exposures). The Pollution Burden percentile is the percentile rank of the Pollution Burden score.

• The Populaton Characteristics and Pollution Burden scores are then multiplied to find the final Cumulative EJ Impact score for a census tract, and then this final score is percentile-ranked to find a census tract's final Cumulative EJ Impact percentile.

• Census tracts with no population aren't given a Population Characteristics score.

• Census tracts with an indicator score of zero are assigned a percentile rank of zero. Percentile rank is then only calculated for those census tracts with a score above zero.

• Census tracts that are missing data for more than two indicators don't receive a final Cumulative EJ Impact ranking.

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January 30, 2017CalEnviroScreen (CES) is a screening methodology that can be used to help identify California communities that are disproportionately burdened by multiple sources of pollution. CalEnviroScreen uses environmental, health, and socioeconomic information to produce scores for every census tract in the state. The scores are mapped so that different communities can be compared. An area with a high score is one that experiences a much higher pollution burden than areas with low scores. CalEnviroScreen ranks communities based on data that are available from state and federal government sources. Tracts in this layer are the top 25% (those receiving the highest/worst scores) for the SACOG region from version CES 3.0. The original layer was developed by California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), on behalf of the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA), and released January 30, 2017.CalEnviroScreen is updated periodically. The next update is expected to be available in Summer 2021.

The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), on behalf of the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA), announces the availability of the Communities Environmental Health Screening Tool: CalEnviroScreen Version 3.0 (CalEnviroScreen 3.0). CalEnviroScreen is a screening methodology that can be used to help identify California communities that are disproportionately burdened by multiple sources of pollution. The 3.0 report and supporting documents are available at: http://oehha.ca.gov/calenviroscreen/report/calenviroscreen-30

The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), on behalf of the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA), provides CalEnviroScreen 2.0, a screening methodology that can be used to help identify communities that are disproportionately burdened by multiple sources of pollution.For more information, visit http://egis3.lacounty.gov/dataportal/2014/06/18/calenviroscreen-2-0-2/

The Environmental Justice Communities Map (“EJ Communities Map”) describes areas of San Francisco that have higher pollution and are predominately low-income. This map is based on CalEnviroScreen, a tool created by CalEPA & OEHHA that maps California communities that are most affected by pollution and other health risks. This EJ Communities Map includes additional local data on pollution and demographics, and was refined during the community engagement process based on public feedback. “EJ Communities” are defined as the areas facing the top one-third of cumulative environmental and socioeconomic burdens across the City. The EJ Communities include areas of Bayview Hunters Point, Chinatown, Excelsior, Japantown, Mission, Ocean View-Merced Heights-Ingleside, Outer Mission, Potrero Hill, SoMa, Tenderloin, Treasure Island, Visitacion Valley, and Western Addition. "EJ Communities” are defined as the areas facing the top one-third of cumulative environmental and socioeconomic burdens across the City, with scores 21-30. Further information is available here: https://sfplanning.org/project/environmental-justice-framework-and-general-plan-policies#ej-communities

This layer shows census tracts that meet the following definitions: Census tracts with median household incomes at or below 80 percent of the statewide median income or with median household incomes at or below the threshold designated as low income by the Department of Housing and Community Development’s list of state income limits adopted under Healthy and Safety Code section 50093 and/or Census tracts receiving the highest 25 percent of overall scores in CalEnviroScreen 4.0 or Census tracts lacking overall scores in CalEnviroScreen 4.0 due to data gaps, but receiving the highest 5 percent of CalEnviroScreen 4.0 cumulative population burden scores or Census tracts identified in the 2017 DAC designation as disadvantaged, regardless of their scores in CalEnviroScreen 4.0 or Lands under the control of federally recognized Tribes.Data downloaded in May 2022 from https://webmaps.arb.ca.gov/PriorityPopulations/.

Pollution burden is calculated by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment’s CalEnviroScreen 3.0. This tool measures pollution burden as a combined score that includes Indicators of potential exposures to pollutants and environmental conditions (e.g., ozone, pesticides, toxic releases, traffic, hazardous waste). The pollution burden scores are averaged by majority race/ethnicity of Oakland census tracts.

This Disadvantaged Communities (DAC) file contains the Census tracts that met criteria as 2022 Disadvantaged Communities (SB535) with Tribal Areas that fall outside of the designated Census tracts.This DAC file represents four (4)geographic areas. In this designation, CalEPA formally designated four categories of geographic areas as disadvantaged:1. Census tracts receiving the highest 25 percent of overall scores in CalEnviroScreen 4.0.2. Census tracts lacking overall scores in CalEnviroScreen 4.0 due to data gaps, but receiving the highest 5 percent of CalEnviroScreen 4.0 cumulative pollution burden scores.3. Census tracts identified in the 2017 DAC designation as disadvantaged, regardless of their scores in CalEnviroScreen 4.0.4. Lands under the control of federally recognized Tribes. For purposes of this designation, a Tribe may establish that a particular area of land is under its control even if not represented as such on CalEPA’s DAC map and therefore should be considered a DAC by requesting a consultation with the CalEPA Deputy Secretary for Environmental Justice, Tribal Affairs and Border Relations at TribalAffairs@calepa.ca.gov.SCAG combined both those Census tracts described in 1-3 categories and tribal areas defined by the United States Census Bureau in the 4th category to present a single layer with all of the designated disadvantaged communities.Note: Tribal Areas do not have CalEnviroScreen 4.0 analysis.

This layer represents the geographic areas 1-4 below.In this designation, CalEPA formally designated four categories of geographic areas as disadvantaged:1. Census tracts receiving the highest 25 percent of overall scores in CalEnviroScreen 4.02. Census tracts lacking overall scores in CalEnviroScreen 4.0 due to data gaps, but receiving the highest 5 percent of CalEnviroScreen 4.0 cumulative pollution burden scores.3. Census tracts identified in the 2017 DAC designation as disadvantaged, regardless of their scores in CalEnviroScreen 4.04. Lands under the control of federally recognized Tribes. For purposes of this designation, a Tribe may establish that a particular area of land is under its control even if not represented as such on CalEPA's DAC map and therefore should be considered a DAC by requesting a consultation with the CalEPA Deputy Secretary for Environmental Justice, Tribal Affairs and Border Relations at TribalAffairs@calepa.ca.gov

The TCC Project Area Map allows users to view the boundary for the City of Bakersfield's Transformative Climate Communities plan. The TCC Project Area encompasses roughly five square miles of land within southeast Bakersfield that is home to a majority of low to moderate income residents and is also entirely within the Top 25% of the most polluted census tracts within California. The map also features other layers that help show the need that the area has for the TCC plan, such as:SB 535 Disadvantaged Communities (2022)CalEnviroScreen 4.0 Top 25%California Hard to Count Index (2023)Clusters of Parcels in Unincorporated AreasBakersfield City Limits

This layer maps California census tracts as included in the Communities Environmental Health Screening Tool (CalEnviroScreen) created by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) on behalf of the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA)CalEnviroScreen is a screening methodology that can be used to help identify California communities that are disproportionately burdened by multiple sources of pollution. The methodology is described in the current version (3.0) report and supporting documents available at http://oehha.ca.gov/calenviroscreen/report/calenviroscreen-30 .

The Aquifer Risk Map Web Tool contains all archived maps, including this 2023 Aquifer Risk Map.The Aquifer Risk Map is developed to fulfill requirements of SB-200 (Monning, 2019) and is intended to help prioritize areas where domestic wells and state small water systems may be accessing groundwater that does not meet primary drinking water standards (maximum contaminant level or MCL). In accordance with SB-200, the map is made available to the public and updated annually starting January 1, 2021. This web map is part of the 2023 Aquifer Risk Map. The Fund Expenditure Plan states the risk map will be used by Water Boards staff to help prioritize areas for available SAFER funding.

This web map includes the following layers:Water Quality Risk: water quality risk estimates per square mile section for all contaminants with an MCL. Water quality risk is listed as “high” (average or recent concentration in section is above MCL for one or more contaminants), “medium” (average or recent concentration in section is between 80% - 100% of MCL for one or more contaminants), “low” (average or recent concentration in section is less than 80% of MCL for all measured contaminants) or “unknown” (no water quality data available in section).Individual Contaminant Risk: water quality risk estimates for nitrate, arsenic, 1,2,3-trichloropropane, hexavalent chromium, and uranium per square mile section.State Small Water Systems (DDW): state small water systems (5-14 connections) location from the Division of Drinking Water joined with water quality risk section estimates from the 2023 Aquifer Risk Map.Domestic Well Records (OSWCR): the approximate count and location of domestic well completion reports submitted to the Department of Water Resources. This is used as a proxy to identify domestic well locations.Public Water System Boundaries (DDW): the approximate boundaries of public drinking water systems, from the Division of Drinking Water. For reference only.Census Areas: Census block groups and census tract boundaries containing demographic information from the 2021 American Community Survey (B19013 Median Household Income and B03002 race/ethnicity) joined with summarized water quality risk estimates from the 2023 Aquifer Risk Map (count of high risk domestic wells and state small water systems per census area).Reference Boundaries: Various geographic boundaries including counties, basins, GSA’s, CV-SALTS basin prioritization status, Disadvantaged Community (DAC) status, and legislative boundaries. For reference only.CalEnviroScreen 4.0: CalEnviroScreen scores from OEHHA. For reference only.Groundwater Level Percentiles (DWR): Groundwater depth in various monitoring wells compared to the historic average at that well. For reference only.

The water quality risk is based on depth-filtered, de-clustered water quality results from public and domestic supply wells. The methodology used to determine water quality risk is outlined here. For more information about the SAFER program, please email SAFER@waterboards.ca.gov. For technical questions or feedback on the map please email GAMA@waterboards.ca.gov.