"Each federal agency shall make achieving environmental justice part of its mission by identifying
and addressing, as appropriate, disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental
effects of its programs, policies and activities on minority populations and low income populations..."
Executive Order 12898
Along with the landmark Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the recent executive order on environmental justice and the ISTEA and TEA-21 transportation bills of the 1990s all require an aggressive outreach and public involvement program for all transportation agencies that receive federal funding - especially to low income communities and people of color. The rule of the game is nowadays that the public must be involved early and often. Many agencies have citizen advisory committees that can be an important forum for input, but all major projects and planning documents must also provide ample opportunity for the public to present their concerns far in advance of the actual
