AAAS Scientific Responsibility, Human Rights and Law Program

As an entity utilizing federal funds, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is responsible for successfully integrating environmental justice (EJ) into its program and planning activities.  The objective of this project was to assemble a Geographic Information System (GIS) database which identifies census tracts and block groups statewide where low-income and minority populations reside.  In addition to minority and poverty status, the other census characteristics that have been used by various jurisdictions to describe EJ communities include the elderly, linguistically isolated, people dependent on public transportation, and people with go-outside-the-home disabilities. Data from the 2000 Census on these characteristics were also acquired for this mapping project.  The primary GIS shapefiles include census tracts and block groups with the EJ characteristic database.  Sample maps are included in the report.