Data shows polygon locations of Potential Environmental Justice Areas (PEJA) and is defined in the PEJA field. PEJA's have been identified based on data from the 2014-2018 5-year American Community Survey (ACS), conducted by the US Census Bureau. Environmental justice efforts focus on improving the environment in communities, specifically minority and low-income communities, and addressing disproportionate adverse environmental impacts that may exist in those communities. The information balloon for each census block group area displays the census block group ID, population, percent minority, percent below poverty level, county, municipality, and a link to more information on the Department of Environmental Conservation's website https://www.dec.ny.gov/public/333.html The data was collected by the US Census Bureau as part of the American Community Survey. Reported income and race/ethnicity data were analyzed by OEJ to determine the presence of Potential Environmental Justice Areas. The designated areas are then considered for additional outreach within the permitting process, for grant eligibility, and for targeted enforcement of Environmental Conservation Law violations. Utilized established methods as originally detailed in the Interim Environmental Justice Policy, US EPA Region 2, December 2000, and recommended by the Environmental Justice Advisory Group, Recommendations for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Environmental Justice Program, January 2, 2002. Individual thresholds for low-income populations (statewide), minority populations (rural communities), and minority populations (urban communities) were determined by using ArcGIS 10.3 (used to indicate if census block groups overlapped Census designated urban areas) and IBM SPSS Statistics 26 (to conduct a K-means clustering algorithm on ACS data for the three categories). More detail is provided under processing steps. Service updated annually. For more information or to download layer see https://gis.ny.gov/gisdata/inventories/details.cfm?DSID=1273Download the metadata to learn more information about how the data was created and details about the attributes. Use the links within the metadata document to expand the sections of interest see http://gis.ny.gov/gisdata/metadata/nysdec.PEJA.xml

DEC offers competitive grants to support and empower communities as they develop and implement solutions that significantly address environmental issues, harms, and health hazards, build community consensus, set priorities, and improve public outreach and education.Service layer is updated annually, last updated 9/30/22.For more information, see https://www.dec.ny.gov/public/31226.htmlFor more information or to download layer see https://gis.ny.gov/gisdata/inventories/details.cfm?DSID=1379Download the metadata to learn more information about how the data was created and details about the attributes. Use the links within the metadata document to expand the sections of interest. http://gis.ny.gov/gisdata/metadata/nysdec.oejgrants.xml1. The NYS DEC asks to be credited in derived products. 2. Secondary distribution of the data is not allowed. 3. Any documentation provided is an integral part of the data set. Failure to use the documentation in conjunction with the digital data constitutes a misuse of the data. 4. Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information, errors may be reflected in the data supplied. The user must be aware of data conditions and bear responsibility for the appropriate use of the information with respect to possible errors, original map scale, collection methodology, currency of data, and other conditions.

This dataset identifies areas throughout the State that meet the final disadvantaged community definition as voted on by the Climate Justice Working Group on March 27th, 2023. It contains the 4,918 census tracts in New York State and identifies the 1,736 census tracts that make up the current Disadvantaged Communities (DAC) definition. The dataset also includes the 45 indicators, expressed as a percentile ranking, used to determine each census tracts’ Environmental Burden and Climate Change Risks, and Population Characteristics and Health Vulnerabilities. The source for the Census Tract data is the US Census Bureau, Geography Division, Year 2019. For more information, please visit https://www.census.gov/cgi-bin/geo/shapefiles/index.php. The chosen 45 indicators represent a variety of data sources, both private and public. Further details on the methodology and resources can be found at https://climate.ny.gov/DAC-Criteria in the Technical Documentation, Indicator Prioritization and Selection section.View Dataset on the Gateway

The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) directs the Climate Justice Working Group (CJWG) to establish criteria for defining disadvantaged communities. This dataset identifies areas throughout the State that meet the final disadvantaged community definition as voted on by the Climate Justice Working Group.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) offers objective information and analysis, innovative programs, technical expertise, and support to help New Yorkers increase energy efficiency, save money, use renewable energy, accelerate economic growth, and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. To learn more about NYSERDA’s programs, visit nyserda.ny.gov or follow us on X, Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram.