Section 5.3: Tools for Taking Action
Module 5: Advancing Health Equity with Environmental Justice
State cancer programs routinely examine disparities in cancer incidence rates to help target intervention strategies. However, identifying who is most affected by cancer is only half of the battle; examining disparities in environmental exposures allows coalitions to better implement proactive risk reduction strategies.
With the removal of federal environmental justice mapping tools, environmental screening has become decentralized. Today, state-level databases and independent initiatives provide the highly localized data required for effective planning.
Look Up Your State's Screening Tool
Many states have stepped up to build their own highly granular, localized screening tools. State-specific tools are often more accurate than previous national models because they rely on localized environmental reporting and regional public health databases. Excellent examples of these state-led tools include:
- California: CalEnviroScreen
- Colorado: Colorado EnviroScreen
- Maryland: MD EJSCREEN
- New Jersey: NJDEP EJMAP
- Pennsylvania: PennEnviroScreen
- Washington: Washington Environmental Health Disparities Map
No State-Specific Tool? Leverage Collaborative Platforms
If your state does not have a designated environmental health mapping tool, alternative options exist. Collaborative, independent initiatives have emerged to fill the gap left by federal rollbacks:
- The Environmental & Health Data & Analysis Trust (EHDAT): Formed in 2025 by research and policy experts—including former EPA/EJScreen staff—the Environmental & Health Data & Analysis Trust is actively building an independent, collaborative platform to meet the data and analytical needs of state agencies, researchers, and communities. Watch their platform for upcoming developments and resources.Â
- University and Regional Partners: Coalitions can partner with state university GIS departments or local academic centers to cross-reference raw, publicly available EPA toxic release inventory data and other EPA data sources with your state’s cancer registries.
