Environmental justice (EJ) is an important part of the assessment of impacts on human communities in any Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), whether at the state or the federal level.

The preliminary draft of the PolyMet EIS did not acknowledge substantial impacts to Anishinabe communities that would be affected.  WaterLegacy attorney, Paula Maccabee, prepared an enviromental justice brief to support citizen comments to the agencies about the need to address this issue. 

EJ definition from the U.S. Environmental protection Agency (EPA)

5.5  What public participation is recommended for implementing the methylmercury criterion?
By applicable regulations, water quality standards, TMDL, and NPDES permit  decisions
require public notice and the opportunity for the public to comment on tentative decisions. Some public interest groups might have an interest in decisions related  to mercury, especially in areas where local citizens rely heavily on locally caught fish as a food source. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that organizations with an interest in environmental justice issues be included in the public notice.           --  www.epa.gov/waterscience, January 2009

See also  EPA's EJ webpage: