Justice40 Federal Funding Distribution in Pennsylvania Environmental Justice Areas

Environmental history captures the disproportionate temporal and spatial distribution of environmental hazards surrounding and within marginalized, minority, and low-income communities. The Justice40 Initiative intended to have 40% of federal investments benefiting environmental justice (EJ) areas that have been historically undeserved with disproportionate exposure to environmental hazards. The purpose of this work is to evaluate whether federal funds have been equitably distributed within Pennsylvania designated Environmental Justice areas. Almost 40% of federal funding under the Justice40 Initiative are within EJ areas and assumed to be benefiting the communities. However, there is environmental injustice across PA and the nation.