EJScreen Map Descriptions

The below provides basic descriptions for the data included in the mapping layers available through EJScreen. EJScreen data are updated periodically. To see which years of data are in the current version, see Overview of Environmental Indicators in EJScreen or check the metadata.

Environmental Burden Indicators

  • Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM2.5)

    The environmental burden indicator for PM2.5 measures the potential exposure to inhalable particles 2.5 microns or smaller (about 30 times smaller than the width of human hair) in terms of annual average concentration in micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3). EJScreen presents PM2.5 concentrations using percentile rank, ranging from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest). This indicator does not designate compliance with the national ambient air quality standard for PM2.5. Source: EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation.

    For more details on the PM2.5 indicator, including why it is important and what you can do moving forward, please visit the EJScreen Indicator Overview for PM2.5.

  • Ozone

    The environmental burden indicator for ozone measures how much ground-level ozone people might be exposed to by looking at the highest levels of ozone recorded at the ground-level and averaging the top ten days of the year. Ozone concentrations were measured as daily maximum eight-hour averages. EJScreen presents ground-level ozone concentrations using percentile rank, ranging from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest). This indicator does not designate compliance with the national ambient air quality standard for ozone. Source: EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation.

    For more details on the ozone indicator, including why it is important and what you can do moving forward, please visit the EJScreen Indicator Overview for Ozone.

  • Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)

    The environmental burden indicator for NO2 measures how much surface level NO2 people might be exposed to in terms of annual average concentration in parts per billion. EJScreen presents surface level NO2 concentrations using percentile rank, ranging from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest). This indicator does not designate compliance with the national ambient air quality standard for NO2. Source: Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center.

    For more details on the NO2 indicator, including why it is important and what you can do moving forward, please visit the EJScreen Indicator Overview for NO2.

  • Diesel Particulate Matter

    The environmental burden indicator for diesel PM measures how much diesel PM (a mixture of particles from diesel exhaust) people might be exposed to in terms of micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3). EJScreen presents diesel PM concentrations using percentile rank, ranging from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest). Source: EPA’s  Air Toxics Screening Assessment.

    For more details on the diesel PM indicator, including why it is important and what you can do moving forward, please visit the EJScreen Indicator Overview for Diesel PM.

  • Toxic Releases to Air

    The environmental burden indicator for toxic releases to air measures the average annual chemical concentrations in air weighted by the toxicity of each chemical. This indicator includes chemicals covered by EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program which can cause cancer, other significant human health effects, are reactive, ignitable, or cause significant adverse environmental effects. EJScreen presents these toxic releases using percentile rank, ranging from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest). Source: EPA’s RSEI Geographic Microdata.

    For more details on the toxic releases to air indicator, including why it is important and what you can do moving forward, please visit the EJScreen Indicator Overview for Toxic Releases to Air.

  • Traffic Proximity and Volume

    The environmental burden indicator for traffic proximity measures the count of vehicles per day (average annual daily traffic- AADT) divided by distance. EJScreen presents traffic proximity using percentile rank, ranging from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest). Source: U.S. Department of Transportation National Transportation Atlas Database, Highway Performance Monitoring System.

    For more details on the traffic proximity indicator, including why it is important and what you can do moving forward, please visit the EJScreen Indicator Overview for Traffic Proximity.

  • Lead Paint

    The environmental burden indicator for lead paint is based on the percentage of housing units built before 1960, a proxy for how much lead paint people might be exposed to. EJScreen presents this potential exposure to lead paint using percentile rank, ranging from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest). Source: Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year summary estimates.

    For more details on the lead paint indicator, including why it is important and what you can do moving forward, please visit the EJScreen Indicator Overview for Lead Paint.

  • Superfund Proximity

    The environmental burden indicator for Superfund proximity measures how close people might live to sites listed on the National Priorities List (NPL). This indicator calculates the total count of sites proposed and listed on the NPL within 5 km (or nearest within 10 km), divided by distance. EJScreen presents Superfund proximity using percentile rank, ranging from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest). Source: EPA’s CERCLIS database.

    For more details on the Superfund proximity indicator, including why it is important and what you can do moving forward, please visit the EJScreen Indicator Overview for Superfund Proximity.

  • Risk Management Program (RMP) Facility Proximity

    The environmental burden indicator for RMP facility proximity measures how close people might live to an active facility with a required Risk Management Plan (potential chemical accident management plan). This indicator calculates the total count of RMP facilities within 5 km (or nearest within 10 km), divided by distance. EJScreen presents RMP facility proximity using percentile rank, ranging from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest). Source: EPA’s RMP database.

    For more details on the RMP facility proximity indicator, including why it is important and what you can do moving forward, please visit the EJScreen Indicator Overview for RMP Facility Proximity.

  • Hazardous Waste Proximity

    The environmental burden indicator for hazardous waste proximity measures how close people might live to a facility that handles hazardous waste. This indicator calculates the total count of hazardous waste facilities (TSDFs and LQGs) within 5 km (or nearest within 10 km), divided by distance. EJScreen presents hazardous waste proximity using percentile rank, ranging from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest). Source: EPA’s RCRAInfo database.

    For more details on the hazardous waste indicator, including why it is important and what you can do moving forward, please visit the EJScreen Indicator Overview for Hazardous Waste Proximity.

  • Underground Storage Tanks (UST)

    The environmental burden indicator for UST measures how many underground storage tanks and UST release sites are near where people live. This indicator is based on the sum of LUSTs and USTs within a 1,500-foot buffered block group. EJScreen presents this relative density of USTs using percentile rank, ranging from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest). Source: EPA’s UST Finder tool.

    For more details on the UST indicator, including why it is important and what you can do moving forward, please visit the EJScreen Indicator Overview for UST.

  • Wastewater Discharge (Stream Proximity and Toxic Concentration)

    The environmental burden indicator for wastewater discharge measures how much relative risk there is of being exposed to pollutants from wastewater that flows into rivers or other bodies of water downstream. This relative risk is based on estimated concentrations of pollutants in downstream water bodies within 500 meters, divided by distance in km. EJScreen presents wastewater discharge proximity using percentile rank, ranging from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest). Source: EPA’s RSEI modeled toxic concentrations to stream reach segments.

    For more details on the wastewater discharge indicator, including why it is important and what you can do moving forward, please visit the EJScreen Indicator Overview for Wastewater Discharge.

  • Drinking Water Non-Compliance

    The environmental burden indicator for drinking water non-compliance highlights populations served by community water systems that have challenges complying with Safe Drinking Water Act requirements. Points are calculated using a modified version of EPA’s Enforcement Targeting Tool criteria, which accounts for violation severity and age. EJScreen presents drinking water non-compliance using percentile rank, ranging from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest). Source: EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Information System & Drinking Water Enforcement Response Policy and Enforcement Targeting Tool.

    For more details on the drinking water non-compliance indicator, including why it is important and what you can do moving forward, please visit the EJScreen Indicator Overview for Drinking Water Non-Compliance.

Socioeconomic Indicators

The source of all the socioeconomic indicators is the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year summary estimates.

  • Percent people of color.
    The percent of individuals in a block group who list their racial status as a race other than white alone and/or list their ethnicity as Hispanic or Latino. That is, all people other than non-Hispanic white-alone individuals. The word "alone" in this case indicates that the person is of a single race, not multiracial.

  • Percent low-income.
    Percent of individuals whose ratio of household income to poverty level in the past 12 months was less than 2 (as a fraction of individuals for whom ratio was determined).

  • Unemployment.
    All those who did not have a job at all during the reporting period, made at least one specific active effort to find a job during the prior 4 weeks, and were available for work (unless temporarily ill).

  • Percent in limited English speaking.
    Percent of households in which no one age 14 and over speaks English "very well" or speaks English only (as a fraction of households).

  • Percent less than high school education.
    Percent of individuals age 25 and over with less than high school degree.

  • Percent under age 5.
    Percent of individuals under age 5 as a fraction of population.

  • Percent over age 64.
    Percent of individuals over age 64 as a fraction of the population.

  • Demographic Index.
    The demographic index in EJScreen is a combination of percent low-income and percent minority, the two socioeconomic factors that were explicitly named in Executive Order 12898 on Environmental Justice. For each Census block group, these two numbers are simply averaged together. The formula is as follows: demographic index = (% people of color + % low-income) / 2.

  • Supplemental Demographic Index.
    The supplemental demographic index in EJScreen is a combination of five socioeconomic factors averaged together for each Census block group. The supplemental demographic index can provide an additional perspective on potential community vulnerability and may be more relevant for use in certain situations. The formula is as follows: supplemental demographic index = (% low-income + % persons with disabilities + % less than high school education + % limited English speaking + low life expectancy) / 5. For block groups where low life expectancy data is missing, the formula will average the other four factors. 

EJ Indexes

EJ Index

There are thirteen EJ indexes in EJScreen reflecting the 13 environmental indicators, combined with socioeconomic information. The EJ index highlights block groups with the highest intersection of low-income populations, people of color, and a given environmental indicator. To calculate a single EJ index for one block group, EJScreen multiplies the environmental indicator by socioeconomic information. This socioeconomic information includes percent low-income and percent people of color (as the demographic index). This is the formula for the index:
EJ Index = (Environmental Indicator Percentile for Block Group) X (Demographic Index for Block Group)

View descriptions of the 13 EJ Indexes here.

Supplemental Indexes

Supplemental Index

There are thirteen supplemental indexes in EJScreen reflecting the 13 environmental indicators, combined with socioeconomic information. The supplemental index highlights block groups with the highest intersection of five socioeconomic factors and a given environmental indicator. To calculate a single supplemental index for one block group, EJScreen multiplies the environmental indicator by socioeconomic information. This socioeconomic information includes percent low-income, percent linguistically isolated, percent less than high school education, percent persons with disabilities, and low life expectancy (as the supplemental demographic index). This is the formula for the index:
Supplemental Index = (Environmental Indicator Percentile for Block Group) X (Supplemental Demographic Index for Block Group)

View descriptions of the 13 Supplemental Indexes here.

Climate Change

Enviroatlas

Spatial Metadata: Enviroatlas.

Sea Level Rise (NOAA)

This dataset depicts land at risk of permanent flooding when sea level rises. There are six map layers showing the area inundated at one, two, three, four, five and six feet of sea level rise. Over the next 30 years, scientists estimate a one to three-foot rise along most of the U.S. coastline. These data can be used to look for areas of potential permanent inundation based on chosen sea level rise estimates (i.e., 1 to 6 feet) in relation to locations of social and economic vulnerability.
Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Spatial Metadata: NOAA Office for Coastal Management.

Wildfire Risk

The First Street Foundation-Wildfire Model (FSF-WFM) is a 30 meter resolution model representing the wildfire exposure for any specific location in the contiguous US, today and with the future climate change. The risk of wildfire is derived from a series of inputs associated with fire fuels, weather, human influence, and fire movement. Bringing all of these inputs together, at a national scale, in a high-resolution, climate-adjusted model represents a first-of-its-kind property-level wildfire risk model. In the development of the model, U.S. Federal Government open data are used for the foundational topography, fuels, weather, climate, and historical disturbances information, and additional data were added from a variety of state and local wildfire and land management sources to facilitate a both high resolution and future-facing (estimates both for today and for 30 years ahead) product. 
Source: First Street Foundation.

Flood Risk

The First Street Foundation Flood Model is a nationwide probabilistic flood model that shows the risk of flooding at any location in all 50 states and Puerto Rico due to rainfall (pluvial), riverine flooding (fluvial), and coastal surge flooding. While other hydraulic and hydrologic models show refined risks of flooding in certain areas, this model provides complete coverage across the United States at 3-meter resolution. The First Street Foundation Flood Model provides a consistent and unified methodology across the entire country with continuous outputs. This extends into areas that have no previous flood modeling and even areas that do not have recorded hydrologic data. As a result, there is increased visibility into new regions of the entire country. 
Source: First Street Foundation.

Extreme Heat

This dataset provides a screening level assessment of extreme heat potential by census block group. This dataset describes the average number of days over 90º F (from 2019-2023) per block group. This is calculated from PRISM Climate Group’s gridded daily Tmax estimates. Note this is dry-bulb temperature, and does not factor in humidity.
Source data: PRISM Climate Group
Source: US EPA.

Health Disparities

Low Life Expectancy

Average life expectancy data developed as a collaboration between NCHS, the National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information Systems, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. This data is available at the tract level; the same tract value is then assigned to all sub block groups.
Source: U.S. Small-area Life Expectancy Estimates Project (USALEEP).

Heart Disease

Heart disease prevalence among adults aged 18 years or older. The term "heart disease" refers to several types of heart conditions. This data is available at the tract level; the same tract value is then assigned to all sub block groups.
Source: CDC Places Data.

Asthma

Asthma prevalence among adults aged 18 or older. This data is available at the tract level; the same tract value is then assigned to all sub block groups.
Source: CDC Places Data.

Cancer

Cancer (excluding skin cancer) prevalence among adults aged 18 or older. This data is available at the Census tract level; the same tract value is then assigned to all sub block groups.
Source: CDC Places Data.

Persons with Disabilities

Percent of all persons with disabilities. Considers six disability types: hearing difficulty, vision difficulty, cognitive difficulty, ambulatory difficulty, self-care difficulty, and independent living difficulty.  Respondents who report any one of the six disability types are considered to have a disability. For more information on each disability type visit: Census.gov: How Disability Data are Collected from The American Community Survey.

This data is derived from Census ACS data at the tract level. Block group values are calculated by multiplying the tract value by the block population weight. The weights are derived from the same Census source used by the EJScreen buffer reports and analysis.
Source: Download ACS Data.

Critical Service Gaps

Broadband Gaps

Areas with the lowest rate of households with a broadband internet subscription.
Source: The Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year summary estimates.

Lack of Health Insurance

Percent of all persons without Health Insurance Coverage.
Source: Download ACS Data.

Housing Burden

This dataset contains census tract level percentiles for housing cost, which is the share of households that are both earning less than 80% of Housing and Urban Development’s Area Median Family Income and are spending more than 30% of their income on housing costs. The housing cost percentiles were adopted as Housing Burden for EJScreen.
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Transportation Access

The Average of Transportation Indicator uses an average of four transportation-related indicator percentiles, including Transportation Cost Burden, National Walkability Index, Percentage of Households with No Vehicle Available, and Mean Commute Time to Work. It was renamed to Transportation Access for EJScreen. 
Source: The Department of Transportation's Transportation Disadvantaged Census Tracts.

Food Desert

Low income and low access tract measured at 1 mile for urban areas and 10 miles for rural areas. This data is available at the tract level.
Source: USDA.

Places Layers

EPA Regulated Facilities

The below includes information EPA collects through various databases about facilities or sites subject to environmental regulation.

Superfund

The Superfund Enterprise Management System (SEMS) provides information regarding sites under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act -- otherwise known as CERCLA or Superfund. CERCLA provides a Federal "Superfund" to locate, investigate, and clean up uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous-waste sites as well as accidents, spills, and other emergency releases of pollutants and contaminants into the environment. The National Priorities List (NPL) is the list of national priorities among the known releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants throughout the United States and its territories.
Source: EPA's Envirofacts.

Hazardous Waste (TSDF and LQGs)

Hazardous waste information contained in the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Information (RCRAInfo) includes an inventory on all generators, transporters, treaters, storers, and disposers of hazardous waste that are required to provide information about their activities.
Source: EPA's Envirofacts.

Water Dischargers (NPDES)

As authorized by the Clean Water Act, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program controls water pollution by regulating sources, such as municipal and industrial wastewater treatment facilities, that discharge pollutants into waters of the United States. EPA tracks water discharge permits through the Permit Compliance System (PCS) and Integrated Compliance Information System (ICIS) databases, which includes information on when a permit was issued and when it expires, how much the company is permitted to discharge, and the actual monitoring data showing what the company has discharged.
Source: EPA's Envirofacts.

Air Pollution (ICIS-AIR)

The air pollution data (ICIS-AIR) contains compliance and permit data for stationary sources of air pollution (such as electric power plants, steel mills, factories, and universities) regulated by EPA, state and local air pollution agencies. The information in ICIS-AIR is used by the states to prepare State Implementation Plans (SIPs) and to track the compliance status of point sources with various regulatory programs under Clean Air Act.
Source: EPA's Envirofacts.

Brownfields (ACRES)

The Assessment, Cleanup and Redevelopment Exchange System (ACRES) captures grantee reported data on environmental activities and accomplishments (assessment, cleanup and redevelopment), funding, job training, and details on cooperative partners and leveraging efforts for the Brownfields Program. The information in ACRES is provided at the property and grant level.
Source: EPA's Envirofacts.

Toxics Release Inventory

As authorized under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) and the Pollution Prevention Act (PPA), the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) tracks the management of certain toxic chemicals that may pose a threat to human health and the environment. U.S. facilities in different industry sectors must report annually how much of each chemical is released to the environment and/or managed through recycling, energy recovery and treatment. 
The map shows point locations for facilities that submitted TRI reports to EPA during the most recent reporting year. Points are relatively sized based on total quantities reported as released. 
Source: EPA's Envirofacts and Facility Registry Service (FRS)
Spatial metadata: TRI.

Chemical Data Reporting (TSCA)

The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) grants EPA broad authority to issue regulations designed to gather health/safety and exposure information on, require testing of, and control exposure to chemical substances and mixtures. Under Section 8(a) of TSCA, the Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) rule requires manufacturers (including importers) to report information every four years on the production and use of chemicals in commerce. This map shows point locations for sites that submitted CDR reports to EPA during the most recent reporting cycle (2020). 
Source: Access CDR
Spatial Metadata: CDR.

Other Environmental Data

Facilities Compliance Status

The map layer uses the Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) standard facility symbology to illustrate the programs each facility is regulated under, whether they are in noncompliance, and how long it has been since the last inspection. Users can choose to view all facilities or tailor the view to facilities regulated under the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, or Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Source: This includes data about EPA-regulated facilities from the All Media Programs facility search and the ECHO Exporter.

Air Toxics

Air Toxics Cancer Risk
The air toxics cancer risk data is the estimated lifetime inhalation cancer risk from the analyzed carcinogens in ambient outdoor air, as provided by EPA’s AirToxScreen. The value of the indicator is persons per million over a 70-year lifetime. The data is reported at the Census block level.
Source: EPA’s Air Toxics Screening Assessment.

Nonattainment Areas

If the air quality in a geographic area meets or is cleaner than the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS), it is called an attainment area; areas that don't meet the national standard are called nonattainment areas.  In some cases, EPA is not able to determine an area's status after evaluating the available information and those areas are designated "unclassifiable." These are areas that do not meet (or that contributes to ambient air quality in a nearby area that does not meet) the national primary or secondary ambient air quality standard for a NAAQS.

PM10 (1987 standard)
Description: PM10 (1987 standard)
Source and Spatial Metadata: PM10 (1987 standard)
PM2.5 Annual (2012 standard)
Description: PM2.5 Annual (2012 standard)
Source and Spatial Metadata: PM2.5 Annual (2012 standard)
PM2.5 Annual (1997 standard)
Description: PM2.5 Annual (1997 standard)
Source and Spatial Metadata: PM2.5 Annual (1997 standard)
PM2.5 24hr (2006 standard)
Description: PM2.5 24hr (2006 standard)
Source and Spatial Metadata: PM2.5 24hr (2006 standard)
SO2 1-hr (2010 standard)
Description: SO2 1-hr (2010 standard)
Source and Spatial Metadata: SO2 1-hr (2010 standard)
Lead (2008 standard)
Description: Lead (2008 standard)
Source and Spatial Metadata: Lead (2008 standard)
Ozone 8-hr (2008 standard)
Description: Ozone 8-hr (2008 standard)
Source and Spatial Metadata: Ozone 8-hr (2008 standard)
Ozone 8-hr (1997 standard)
Description: Ozone 8-hr (1997 standard)
Source and Spatial Metadata: Ozone 8-hr (1997 standard).

RSEI Score

A RSEI Score is a unitless value that accounts for the size of the chemical release, the fate and transport of the chemical through the environment, the size and location of the exposed population, and the chemical's toxicity. A RSEI Score is calculated as toxicity weight multiplied by the exposed population multiplied by the estimated dose. RSEI Scores are only meaningful in comparison to other RSEI Scores.
Source: EPA's RSEI

Water Features

Impaired Water Points

The Impaired Water Points layer includes points that are too polluted or otherwise degraded to meet the water quality standards set by states, territories, or authorized tribes. These water points are on the CWA 303(d) list and are required to develop a total maximum daily load (TMDL). This set of water points are provided by the Assessment, Total Maximum Daily Load Tracking and Implementation System (ATTAINS).
Source: EPA Office of Water ATTAINS Geospatial Data
Spatial Metadata: ATTAINS Assessment Areas.

Impaired Streams

The Impaired Streams layer includes streams that are too polluted or otherwise degraded to meet the water quality standards set by states, territories, or authorized tribes. These streams are on the CWA 303(d) list and are required to develop a total maximum daily load (TMDL). These stream segments are provided by the Assessment, Total Maximum Daily Load Tracking and Implementation System (ATTAINS).
Source: EPA Office of Water ATTAINS Geospatial Data
Spatial Metadata: ATTAINS Assessment Lines.

Impaired Water Bodies

The Impaired Water Bodies layer includes bodies of water that are too polluted or otherwise degraded to meet the water quality standards set by states, territories, or authorized tribes. These water bodies are on the CWA 303(d) list and are required to develop a total maximum daily load (TMDL). This set of water areas are provided by the Assessment, Total Maximum Daily Load Tracking and Implementation System (ATTAINS).
Source: EPA Office of Water ATTAINS Geospatial Data
Spatial Metadata: ATTAINS Assessment Areas.

Impaired Catchment

The Impaired Catchment layer includes catchment assessment units that are too polluted or otherwise degraded to meet the water quality standards set by states, territories, or authorized tribes. These water bodies are on the CWA 303(d) list and are required to develop a total maximum daily load (TMDL). This set of water areas are provided by the Assessment, Total Maximum Daily Load Tracking and Implementation System (ATTAINS).
Source: EPA Office of Water ATTAINS Geospatial Data
Spatial Metadata: ATTAINS Assessment Areas.

Streams

The Streams layer includes linear surface water features throughout the United States. The streams layer is based on the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD).
Source: EPA Office of Water
Spatial Metadata: Streams.

Water Bodies

The Water Bodies layer includes area surface features such as ponds, lakes and wide rivers. The water bodies layer is from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line data.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Areal Hydrography
Spatial Metadata: Water Bodies.

Sole Source Aquifers

The Sole Source Aquifer layer includes information on the sole source aquifers (SSA) designated by EPA under section 1424(e) of the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974. SSA's supply at least 50 percent of the drinking water consumed in the area overlying the aquifer. These areas may have no alternative drinking water source(s) that could physically, legally and economically supply all those who depend on the aquifer for drinking water.
Source: SSA Locations
Spatial Metadata: Sole Source Aquifers.

Private Water Wells

Approximately 20% of people in the US get their water from a private domestic well. These water sources are exempt from federal regulations and often go untested for contaminates such as nitrates, nitrites, and e-coli to name just a few. These map layers developed by the US EPA describe 2020 estimated private domestic drinking water wells by  percent population served. Data is at the Census block geography.
Further details: 2020 Private Domestic Well Technical Documentation.


Source: US EPA (GitHub Repository).

Drinking Water Service Areas

Community water system (CWS) service areas describe the geographic area that a water system serves. This map layer describes the geographic extent of over 44,000 community water system service areas, and accounts for around 99% of all people served by a community water system. Approximately 40% of these system's service areas were gathered from state sources. The remaining service areas were modeled using various explanatory variables, such as housing unit density.

Further detail: Water System Service Area Technical Documentation.

Source: US EPA.

EJ Grants

This layer maps environmental justice grants and resources provided through the EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights. These include funding for:

  • Environmental Justice Small Grants Program
  • Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement
  • Environmental Justice Government to government program
  • Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers Program
  • Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program
  • Inflation Reduction Act Community Change Grants Program

Source: EPA's Next Generation Grants System.

Community Landmarks

Schools

The National Center for Education Statistics’ (NCES) Education Demographic and Geographic Estimate (EDGE) program develops annually updated point locations (latitude and longitude) for public elementary and secondary schools included in the NCES Common Core of Data. The NCES EDGE program collaborates with the U.S. Census Bureau’s Education Demographic, Geographic, and Economic Statistics (EDGE) Branch to develop point locations for schools and school district administrative offices based on these addresses. The point locations in this data layer were developed from the 2021-2022 CCD collection.
For more information about NCES school point data, see: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

Hospitals

Point locations for buildings where the sick or injured may receive medical or surgical attention (e.g., infirmary, clinic).
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System (GNIS)
Spatial Metadata: Hospitals.

Places of Worship

Point locations for buildings used for religious worship (e.g., chapel, mosque, synagogue, tabernacle, or temple).
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System (GNIS)
Spatial Metadata: Worship Places.

Parks

An ArcGIS WebService representing fine level manager or administrative agency name standardized for the Nation (USFS, BLM, State Fish and Wildlife, State Parks and Rec, City, NGO, etc). This map is based on the PAD-US 3.0 Combined Proclamation, Marine, Fee, Designation, Easement feature class. DOD and Tribal areas shown with 50% transparency. Use for categorization by manager name, with detailed federal managers and generic state/local/other managers.
For more information about PAD-US: Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US) 3.0
Source: PAD-US Data Download.

Prisons

The prison boundary feature class contains secure detention facilities. These facilities range in jurisdiction from federal (excluding military) to local governments. Polygon geometry is used to describe the extent of where the incarcerated population is located (fence lines or building footprints).
Source: Department of Homeland Security.

Public Housing

This dataset provides the location, and resident characteristics of HUD administer public housing development buildings. Location data for HUD-related properties and facilities are derived from HUD's enterprise geocoding service.
To learn more about Public Housing visit: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Subsidized Public Housing

This layer represents the approximate locations of HUD’s Multifamily Housing. The locations of individual buildings associated with each property are not depicted here. HUD’s Multifamily Housing property portfolio consist primarily of rental housing properties with five or more dwelling units such as apartments or town houses, but can also include nursing homes, hospitals, elderly housing, mobile home parks, retirement service centers, and occasionally vacant land. The three largest assistance programs for Multifamily Housing are Section 8 Project Based Assistance, Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly, and Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities.  
To learn more about Multifamily Housing visit: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Tribal Lands and Indigenous Areas

EPA makes no claims regarding the accuracy or precision of data concerning Indian country locations or boundaries. EPA has simply attempted to collect certain readily available information relating to Indian country locations.

Please note that the EPA makes no claims regarding either the spatial accuracy or precision of these data as associated boundaries and coordinate locations were delineated by the U.S. federal agencies annotated in this metadata record. Data users are encouraged to carefully reference the metadata provided by these federal agencies before using this service. These data are not better than the sources from which they were derived, and both scale and accuracy may vary across the dataset. These data are neither legal documents nor land surveys and must not be used as such. This information cannot be relied upon to create any rights, substantive or procedural, enforceable by any party in litigation with the United States or third parties. EPA reserves the right to change this dataset at any time without public notice.

Tribal Lands

This layer represents locations of American Indian Tribal lands in the lower 48 states and Alaska. The areas include all lands associated with Federally recognized tribal entities--Federally recognized Reservations, Off-Reservation Trust Lands, and Census Oklahoma Tribal Statistical Areas. EPA makes no claims regarding the accuracy or precision of data concerning Indian country locations or boundaries. EPA has simply attempted to collect certain readily available information relating to Indian country locations.
Source: EPA ArcGIS for EMEF/tribal.

Alaska Native Allotments

Bureau of Land Management-defined locations based on land survey records associated with the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) and associated legislation in Alaska. 
Source: EPA ArcGIS for Alaska Native Allotments.

Alaska Native Villages

Boundary-centroid locations based on records provided by the Bureau of Land Management and administered under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANSCA).
Source: EPA ArcGIS for Alaska Native Villages.

American Indian Reservations

Census Bureau-defined areas set aside by the federal government for use by tribes in accordance with tribal treaties, agreements, executive orders, federal statutes, secretarial orders, and judicial determinations relevant to a given entity.
Source: EPA ArcGIS for American Indian Reservations.

American Indian Off-reservation Trust Lands

Census Bureau-defined areas for which the United States holds title in trust for the benefit of a tribe or for an individual American Indian. Trust lands may be located on or off an American Indian Reservation, though the Census Bureau only tabulates data for Off-reservation trust lands with a specific federally recognized reservation and/or tribal government.
Source: EPA ArcGIS for American Indian Off-reservation Trust Lands.

Oklahoma Tribal Statistical Areas (OTSA) Joint-Use Areas

As applied to OTSAs by the Census Bureau, include areas administered jointly and/or claimed by two or more American Indian tribes that have a delineated OTSA.
Source: EPA ArcGIS for Oklahoma Statistical Areas.

Virginia Federally Recognized Tribes

Contains point data for federally recognized tribes geographically located in the state of Virginia, corresponding with the administrative boundaries of EPA Region 3. These tribes are federally recognized, but do not currently have land that qualifies as Indian country. Locations are based on mailing addresses for each tribe provided by the EPA Region 3 Tribal Program Coordinator to the US EPA Office of Mission Support on May 5, 2021.
Source: EPA ArcGIS for Other Federally Recognized Tribes.

Tribal Cession Boundaries

U.S. Forest Service-defined boundaries depicting lands ceded to the federal government for which they may still retain rights and may not be present-day tribal boundaries.
Source: USDA ArcGIS for Indian Land Cessions in the United States.

Alaska Native Regional Corporations

Census Bureau-defined, corporate entities organized to conduct both for-profit and non-profit affairs of Alaska Natives pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. They have legally defined boundaries that subdivide all of Alaska into twelve regions (except for the area within the Annette Island Reserve).
Source: Census ArcGIS for Alaska Native Regional Corporations.

State-recognized American Indian Reservations

Census Bureau-curated boundaries that depict reservations established by certain state governments for tribes recognized by the state.
Source: Census ArcGIS for State American Indian Reservations.

Hawaiian Native Home Lands

Census Bureau-defined areas depicting the 75 Hawaiian homelands in the U.S. state of Hawaii in pursuant with the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920 (HHCA), as amended. 
Source: Census ArcGIS for Hawaiian Home Lands.

State-designated Tribal Statistical Areas

Statistical geographic areas identified and delineated for state recognized tribes by the Census Bureau that are not federally recognized and do not have an American Indian reservation or off-reservation trust land.
Source: Census ArcGIS for State Designated Tribal Statistical Areas.

Colonias

Colonias Communities (HUD)

This service denotes the locations of colonias communities as defined in Section 916 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act of 1990.
Per Section 916 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act of 1990, a "colonia" refers to any community that meets the following criteria:
       (A) is in the State of Arizona, California, New Mexico, or Texas;
       (B) is in the area of the United States within 150 miles of the border between the United States and Mexico, except that the term does not include any standard metropolitan statistical area that has a population exceeding 1,000,000;
       (C) is designated by the State or county in which it is located as a colonia;
       (D) is determined to be a colonia on the basis of objective criteria, including lack of potable  water supply, lack of adequate sewage systems, and lack of decent, safe, and sanitary housing, and;
       (E) was in existence and generally recognized as a colonia before the date of the enactment of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act.
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) colonias geospatial data.

TX State Colonias

Colonias are substandard housing developments, often found along the Texas-Mexico border, where residents lack basic services such as drinking water, sewage treatment, and paved roads.
or
Typically, a residential area lacking some basic infrastructure like a drinking water supply, sewage treatment, paved roads, adequate drainage, etc. "Colonia" is a Spanish word for neighborhood.
Source: Texas Attorney General’s (TX-AG) colonias geospatial database 

NM State Colonias

University of Mexico’s Bureau of Business & Economic Research (BBER) has developed an innovative technique for approximating colonia geographies and tabulating data that is representative of those communities. Using this technique, BBER tabulated 2010 Census data and American Community Survey (ACS) 2006-2010 5-Year Estimates for areas that approximate the geographic extent of various New Mexico colonias under a contract with the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority (MFA).
Source: University of New Mexico’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research’s (BBER) colonias geospatial database.

Designated Disadvantaged Communities

Justice 40

This layer built by Esri assesses and identifies communities that are disadvantaged according to Justice40 Initiative criteria. Details of the assessment are provided in the popup for every census tract in the United States and its territories American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This map uses 2010 census tracts from Version 0.1 of the source data downloaded November 22, 2022. 

EPA IRA Disadvantaged Communities

The EPA Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Disadvantaged Communities map combines multiple datasets that individually can be used to determine whether a community is disadvantaged for the purposes of implementing programs under the IRA. All data sets are assigned values at the Census block group level. The criteria and associated datasets used in the map are:

  • Any census tract that is included as disadvantaged in CEJST
  • Any census block group at or above the 90th%ile for any of EJScreen’s Supplemental Indexes when compared to the nation or state,
  • and/or any geographic area within Tribal lands, as included in EJScreen
    • Alaska Native Allotments
    • Alaska Native Villages
    • American Indian Reservations
    • American Indian Off-reservation Trust Lands
    • Oklahoma Tribal Statistical Areas

The EPA IRA Disadvantaged Communities 1.0 map uses data from EJScreen version 2.2. 

The EPA IRA Disadvantaged Communities 2.0 map uses data from EJScreen version 2.3. 

The EPA Disadvantaged Communities Environmental and Climate Justice program map includes the following components:

  • EPA IRA Disadvantaged Communities 1.0 map 
  • EPA IRA Disadvantaged Communities 2.0 map 
  • Any area of American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or the U.S. Virgin Islands

Source: EPA's IRA Disadvantaged Communities Map.

Additional Demographics 

Demographic information is available to add to the EJScreen map under the "Additional Demographics" button. You may click on the associated button to see metadata for that data layer. Please see the Census Bureau website for more explanations regarding the annual American Community Survey (ACS) estimates.

Boundaries

Zip Codes

The Zip Codes layer provides information and identifies each postal delivery area in the United States.
Source: Data and Maps for ArcGIS
Spatial Metadata: Zip Codes.

Congressional Districts

The Congressional Districts layer includes information on the 118th Congressional Districts of the United States, and U.S. Territories.
Source: ArcGIS Map Service
Spatial Metadata: Congressional Districts.

City Boundaries

The City Boundaries layer includes incorporated cities and Census Designated Places from the U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line data.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Spatial Metadata: City Boundaries.

Urbanized Areas

Urbanized Areas are derived from the 2019 U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line Urban Areas. Urbanized Areas are contiguous areas of populations greater than 50,000.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Spatial Metadata: Urbanized Areas.

Federal Lands

The Federal Lands layer includes information on lands owned or administered by the Federal government. This layer is downloaded from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
Source: USGS National Geospatial Program Small-Scale Data
Spatial Metadata: Federal Lands.

Townships Boundary

The Townships Boundary layer portrays the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) boundaries of the United States to the township level. This layer is downloaded from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) PLSS Map Service.
Source: Bureau of Land Management PLSS Townships
Spatial Metadata: Townships Boundary.

Counties

The Counties layer portrays the county boundaries of the United States.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Spatial Metadata: Counties.

States

The State layer provides state boundaries of the United States.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Spatial Metadata: States.

EPA Regions

The EPA Regions layer includes EPA Administrative Region boundaries derived from State boundaries.
Source: EPA Office of Environmental Information (OEI)
Spatial Metadata: EPA Regions.

Threshold Maps

The threshold maps are a compilation of the various EJ indexes or the various supplemental indexes on a single map. The threshold map widget allows EJScreen users to look across all twelve indexes at once, providing a cumulative outlook on vulnerable populations facing higher pollution burdens. Users select a percentile range, for example the 80th to 100th percentile, and the tool then maps places where one or more of the indexes is within that range. The tool also allows users to select the number of indexes within the user-defined range or to select specific indicators of interest. Threshold maps are available for both the EJ indexes and the new supplemental indexes and are available for comparison at the national and state level.  

EJScreen: Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool

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Last updated on August 6, 2024