President Obama's Department of Homeland Security (DHS) outlined an "environmental justice strategy" that would review how a variety of DHS activities, from interaction with local governments to granting regulatory permits, affect poor and minority populations.

DHS defines environmental justice as "the commitment of the Federal Government . . . to avoid placing disproportionately high and adverse effects on the human health and environment of minority populations and low-income populations."

Efforts to implement environmental justice will influence "our own operations, financial assistance to state and local governments, and [DHS'] regulatory permitting activities," DHS explained in the draft strategy.

To that end, the department will create a Directive and Instruction on Environmental Justice to "outline DHS roles and responsibilities" in the various agencies and programs."

Past examples of environmental justice affecting policy include: "coordinating with Native communities in Alaska on potential impacts of that may occur by increased vessel traffic and ol exploration as a result of melting Artic ice;" and "follow[ing] institutional controls to ensure that . . . non-federal grantees consider environmental justice in the delivery of disaster assistance."

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Editor's Note: Uh-huh...