ORS 182.557 Use of environmental justice mapping tool by natural resource agencies

Subject to subsection (2) of this section, natural resource agencies may consider the results of the environmental justice mapping tool developed under ORS 182.555 when developing administrative rules or agency policies or programs. Natural resource agencies shall consider the recommendations in the report required by ORS 182.543 when utilizing the environmental justice mapping tool.

A natural resource agency may use the environmental justice mapping tool to:

Identify environmental justice communities affected by agency programs;

Conduct outreach and engagement activities with environmental justice communities to inform the development, adoption, implementation or enforcement of environmental laws, administrative rules or agency policies;

Establish measurable goals for reducing environmental health disparities within agency programs; and

Prioritize agency funding to help address identified impacts on environmental justice communities.

The environmental justice mapping tool may inform agency policies and programs as they relate to community engagement and outreach, investments and funding and impacts to environmental justice communities, and may be a source of information to the public.

The mapping tool is informational only and may not be used in agency decision-making on individual permits or applications unless otherwise required by federal or state law.

Nothing in ORS 182.535 to 182.557 shall be construed to limit, affect or alter the authority of any state agency to act within the authority granted to the agency by any other provision of state or federal law.