What is Environmental Justice?

Environmental Justice is defined under Maryland state law as “equal protection from environmental and public health hazards for all people regardless of race, income, culture, and social status.” We are addressing environmental disparities by building relationships with communities and equipping them with the tools and knowledge to participate effectively in decision-making processes involving those who contribute to the issues.

• Source: Maryland Department of the Environment

The Four Environmental Justice Goals

MDOT is committed to upholding our environmental justice vision which is the equitable development and inclusive delivery of transportation products, services, and solutions to all stakeholders. Our vision is supported by four goals to help guide our advancement of environmental justice throughout the department:

• Promote outcome-based and community-uplifting projects.
• Foster meaningful engagement with MDOT's diverse communities and stakeholders beyond traditional opportunities, especially in overburdened and underserved communities.
• Deliver environmentally responsible projects by considering total costs, cumulative impacts, and long-term benefits to Maryland citizens.
• Identify and leverage resources to develop and implement outreach adaptation and mitigation strategies that improve environmental health outcomes, particularly for overburdened communities.

These goals are applied across all MDOT modal administrations and authority, including the Maryland Aviation Administration (MAA), Maryland Port Administration (MPA), Maryland Transit Administration (MTA), Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA), Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA), State Highway Administration (SHA), and The Secretary’s Office (TSO), and can be measured by key objectives, priority actions, and metrics at the respective agencies.