Industrial chemicals, chemical facilities, chemical waste disposal, and chemical disasters have had disparate, historic and ongoing impacts on underserved populations, including populations of color. Historically burdened communities are often located in higher-risk areas near these sites, and also are often disproportionately impacted by chemical incidents. With this knowledge, and pursuant to the 2021 Executive Order On Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government (EO 19385), the authors understand that, unfortunately, these communities are less likely to have access to the resources or expertise needed to do the kind of planning that is outlined throughout this document. As federal agencies work to address these systemic barriers, movement toward equity in response and recovery preparedness for chemical incidents is hoped for and expected.
This page has not been translated into Français. Visit the Français page for resources in that language.