Cumulative Impacts
Cumulative impacts occur when multiple sources of pollution and environmental stressors combine to cause adverse effects to human health. Cumulative impacts policies can help broaden the focus of past environmental regulations and provide a more holistic assessment of health impacts.
Overview
Cumulative impacts occur when multiple sources of pollution and other environmental stressors combine over time to cause adverse effects to human health and wellbeing. These impacts are the result of complex interactions among various social, environmental, and public health factors. When environmental justice communities call for cumulative impacts legislation it is motivated by the need to decrease and reverse decades of disproportionate impacts on BIPOC, low-income, and limited English proficiency individuals and communities. Cumulative impacts policies can help broaden the narrow focus of past environmental regulations, fill in gaps in knowledge about the public health impacts of multiple pollutants, and provide a more holistic assessment that takes into account socio-demographic and health disparities that affect environmental justice communities.
Key Facts
Cumulative impacts involve multiple pollutants and there are two types of effects more likely to affect environmental justice communities. An additive effect is when combined impacts are equal to the sum of their individual impacts. A synergistic effect is when combined impacts are greater than the sum of individual impacts.
Counties with higher degrees of racial residential segregation are exposed to higher concentrations of particulate matter. Human-generated particulate metal concentrations (copper, zinc, nickel, chromium, lead) are on average 30–75% higher in highly segregated counties than in moderately segregated counties and 5–20 times higher than in well-integrated counties.
Existing social and economic conditions can be exacerbated by environmental stressors and lead to higher levels of asthma, diabetes, and hypertension for minorities and low-income communities.
Current Legislation
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| SB4016: Hyperscale Data CentersView Source | Illinois | IL Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-IL-008) | Climate, Water, Environmental Justice, Energy | Cumulative Impacts, Data Centers, Distributed Solar and Batteries, Environmental Justice | DER Regulatory Reform, Energy and Emissions Requirements, Transparency | Introduced or Prefiled |
| HB1266: Environmental Justice in Permitting Process Guidance Memo; DEQ to publish an updated version.View Source | Virginia | VA Del. Kathy Tran (D-VA-018) | Environmental Justice, Energy | Cumulative Impacts, Data Centers, Environmental Justice | Effective | |
| HB5513: Hyperscale Data CentersView Source | Illinois | IL Rep. Robyn Gabel (D-IL-018) | Climate, Water, Environmental Justice, Energy | Cumulative Impacts, Data Centers, Distributed Solar and Batteries, Environmental Justice | DER Regulatory Reform, Energy and Emissions Requirements, Transparency | Introduced or Prefiled |
| H.B.1268: Environmental Permits - Requirements for Burden Analysis, Issuance and Renewal, and Public Participation (Cumulative Harms for Environmental Restoration for Improving Shared Health - CHERISH Our Communities Act)View Source | Maryland | MD Del. Dylan Behler (D-MD-030A) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Introduced or Prefiled | |
| H.B.1287: Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity - BURDEN Analysis (CHERISH Our Communities Act)View Source | Maryland | MD Del. Andre Johnson (D-MD-034A) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Introduced or Prefiled | |
| S.B.0780: Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity - BURDEN Analysis (CHERISH Our Communities Act)View Source | Maryland | MD Sen. Benjamin "Ben" Brooks (D-MD-010) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Introduced or Prefiled | |
| S.B.0781: Environmental Permits - Requirements for Burden Analysis, Issuance and Renewal, and Public Participation (Cumulative Harms for Environmental Restoration for Improving Shared Health - CHERISH Our Communities Act)View Source | Maryland | MD Sen. Benjamin "Ben" Brooks (D-MD-010) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Introduced or Prefiled | |
| HB1162: Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality; require to evaluate toxic air pollutants and revise air quality standards.View Source | Mississippi | MS Rep. Zakiya Summers (D-MS-068) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Introduced or Prefiled | |
| SB 5652: Reducing environmental and health disparities and improving the health of Washington state residents in large port districts.View Source | Washington | WA Sen. Tina Orwall (D-WA-033) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Out of Committee | |
| HB607: Aggregate air pollution; Department of Environmental Quality to study, data center generators.View Source | Virginia | VA Del. Amy Laufer (D-VA-055) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Introduced or Prefiled | |
| SB874: Relating to: report on environmental impacts to vulnerable communities and granting rule-making authority. (FE)View Source | Wisconsin | WI Sen. Chris Larson (D-WI-007), WI Sen. Mark Spreitzer (D-WI-015), WI Sen. LaTonya Johnson (D-WI-006) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Introduced or Prefiled | |
| HB2141: environmental permitting; requirements; burdened communitiesView Source | Arizona | AZ Rep. Oscar De Los Santos (D-AZ-011) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Introduced or Prefiled | |
| AB877: Relating to: report on environmental impacts to vulnerable communities and granting rule-making authority. (FE)View Source | Wisconsin | WI Rep. Christine Sinicki (D-WI-020), WI Rep. Lisa Subeck (D-WI-079), WI Rep. Greta Neubauer (D-WI-066), WI Rep. Robyn Vining (D-WI-013), WI Rep. Mike Bare (D-WI-080), WI Rep. Russell Goodwin (D-WI-012), WI Rep. Supreme "Moore" Moore Omokunde (D-WI-017), WI Rep. Shelia Stubbs (D-WI-078), WI Rep. Alex Joers (D-WI-081), WI Rep. Darrin Madison (D-WI-010), WI Rep. Angelito Tenorio (D-WI-014), WI Rep. Randy Udell (D-WI-047), WI Rep. Sequanna Taylor (D-WI-011), WI Rep. Margaret Arney (D-WI-018), WI Rep. Angela Stroud (D-WI-073), WI Rep. Ben DeSmidt (D-WI-065) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Introduced or Prefiled | |
| HB4194: Community Air MonitoringView Source | West Virginia | WV Del. Evan Hansen (D-WV-079) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Introduced or Prefiled | |
| S.628: Authorizes regulation of greenhouse gas emissions under "Air Pollution Control Act (1954)" and "Global Warming Response Act."View Source | New Jersey | NJ Sen. Bob Smith (D-NJ-017), NJ Sen. Linda Greenstein (D-NJ-014) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Introduced or Prefiled | |
| S.1662: Revises requirements for certain greenhouse gas emissions monitoring and reporting activities.View Source | New Jersey | NJ Sen. John McKeon (D-NJ-027), NJ Sen. Andrew Zwicker (D-NJ-016) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Introduced or Prefiled | |
| A.3747: Revises requirements for certain greenhouse gas emissions monitoring and reporting activities.View Source | New Jersey | NJ Assemb. Alixon Collazos-Gill (D-NJ-027) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Introduced or Prefiled | |
| HB 1303: Increasing environmental justice by improving government decisions.View Source | Washington | WA Rep. Sharlett Mena (D-WA-029) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Out of Committee | |
| S1548: An Act to ensure cleaner air for communities overburdened by outdoor air pollutionView Source | Massachusetts | MA Sen. Patricia "Pat" Jehlen (D-MA-Massachusetts Senate Second Middlesex) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Out of Committee | |
| H2369: An Act to ensure cleaner air for communities overburdened by outdoor air pollutionView Source | Massachusetts | MA Rep. Christine Barber (D-MA-Massachusetts House 34th Middlesex), MA Rep. Mike Connolly (D-MA-Massachusetts House 26th Middlesex) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Out of Committee | |
| S.B.1048: An Act amending Title 27 (Environmental Resources) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for issuance of permits in environmental justice areas.View Source | Pennsylvania | PA Sen. Art Haywood (D-PA-004) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Introduced or Prefiled | |
| H935: An Act limiting toxics release inventory facilities in environmental justice communitiesView Source | Massachusetts | MA Rep. Michelle DuBois (D-MA-Massachusetts House 10th Plymouth) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Introduced or Prefiled | |
| SB0479: Environmental protection: permits; denial of or imposition of additional conditions on; provide for when projects are located in environmentally overburdened communities, and repeal environmental permit review commission provisions. Amends secs. 1301, 1305, 1307 & 1311 of (MCL et seq.); designates secs. 1301 - 1311 as subpt. 1; adds subpt. 2 to pt. 13 & repeals secs. 1313 - 1317 of (MCL - ).View Source | Michigan | MI Sen. Stephanie Chang (D-MI-003) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Introduced or Prefiled | |
| SB1307: Epa-Environmental JusticeView Source | Illinois | IL Sen. Celina Villanueva (D-IL-012) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Introduced or Prefiled | |
| SF817: Highway project development and highway purposes requirements modificationsView Source | Minnesota | MN Sen. Omar Fateh (D-MN-062) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Introduced or Prefiled | |
| H684: Environmental Justice in North Carolina.View Source | North Carolina | NC Rep. Pricey Harrison (D-NC-061), NC Rep. Vernetta Alston (D-NC-029), NC Rep. Terry Brown (D-NC-092), NC Rep. Sarah Crawford (D-NC-066) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Introduced or Prefiled | |
| H645: Friendly NC Act.View Source | North Carolina | NC Rep. Robert Reives (D-NC-054), NC Rep. Julie Von Haefen (D-NC-036), NC Rep. Brandon Lofton (D-NC-104), NC Rep. Vernetta Alston (D-NC-029) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Introduced or Prefiled | |
| SF3222: Transportation cumulative impacts analysis requirement provision and environmental justice ombudsperson establishmentView Source | Minnesota | MN Sen. Omar Fateh (D-MN-062) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Introduced or Prefiled | |
| S597: =H77 Environmental Justice.View Source | North Carolina | Challenger Candidate for State Senate (NC-023) Graig Meyer, NC Sen. Natalie Murdock (D-NC-020) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Introduced or Prefiled | |
| HB1230: Epa-Air Quality FundView Source | Illinois | IL Rep. Sonya Harper (D-IL-006) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Introduced or Prefiled | |
| HB1608: Epa-Environmental JusticeView Source | Illinois | IL Rep. Sonya Harper (D-IL-006) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Introduced or Prefiled | |
| SB 5380: Increasing environmental justice by improving government decisions.View Source | Washington | WA Sen. Liz Lovelett (D-WA-040) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Introduced or Prefiled | |
| H77: =S597 Environmental Justice.View Source | North Carolina | NC Rep. Jordan Lopez (D-NC-112), NC Rep. Pricey Harrison (D-NC-061), NC Rep. Rodney Pierce (D-NC-027), NC Rep. Frances "Vinell" Jackson (D-NC-045) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Introduced or Prefiled | |
| HB 1948: Reducing environmental and health disparities and improving the health of Washington state residents in large port districts.View Source | Washington | WA Rep. Sharon Santos (D-WA-037) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Introduced or Prefiled | |
| HF186: Requirements related to highway project development and highway purposes, including transportation cumulative impacts analysis, alternative design analysis, position of environmental justice ombudsperson, and permissible uses of certain highway funds modified.View Source | Minnesota | MN Rep. Samantha Sencer-Mura (D-MN-063A) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Introduced or Prefiled | |
| B26-0104: Cumulative Impacts Analysis Amendment Act of 2025View Source | District of Columbia | DC CM Zachary Parker (D-DC-005) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Introduced or Prefiled | |
| HR100: House Study Committee on the Cumulative Impact of Pollution on Economic Development and Growth; createView Source | Georgia | GA Rep. Kim Schofield (D-GA-063) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Introduced or Prefiled | |
| HB 1749: Ensuring consideration of climate change, carbon sequestration, environmental health disparities, and treaty-protected and cultural resources in the state environmental policy act.View Source | Washington | WA Rep. Gerry Pollet (D-WA-046) | Environmental Justice | Cumulative Impacts, Environmental Justice | Introduced or Prefiled |
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Related Resources
Environmental Justice and Cumulative Impacts Policy Options
This one-pager provides some examples of environmental justice and cumulative impacts legislation from across the country.
Environmental Justice Issue Brief
This issue brief provides an overview of environmental justice, key facts and terms for understanding the trends of environmental injustice, as well applicable strategies for implementing environmental justice strategies.
Online Resources
Explanation and overview of cumulative impacts in federal, state, and municipal contexts.
The EJI tool delivers a cumulative impacts score for each Census tract in the continental U.S. The EJI ranks each tract on 36 environmental, health, and social factors called EJI Indicators.
A searchable tool of definitions, indicators, thresholds, and benefits in the various CI policies developed to date aimed at supporting policymakers.
Cumulative Impacts and Environmental Justice
Cumulative impacts legislation is motivated by the need to decrease and reverse decades of disproportionate pollution burdens on BIPOC, low-income, and limited English proficiency communities.
Systemic Discrimination
Decades of discriminatory policies and practices, such as redlining, have made it so that communities overburdened by multiple and varied sources of environmental pollution are disproportionately Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), linguistically isolated, and low-income. (blog.ucsusa.org)
Lacking Federal Protections
Federal environmental permitting can currently only consider one pollutant and one environmental medium (air, water, land) at a time, making it difficult for federal regulation to protect disproportionately impacted communities against cumulative sources of pollution. (blog.ucsusa.org)
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