3.5 ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
The Executive Order on Environmental Justice (EO 12898) was signed by President Clinton on February 11, 1994. The executive order requires that, to the extent practicable and permitted by law, neither low-income nor minority populations may receive disproportionately high or adverse impacts as a result of a proposed project. Federal agencies must take the appropriate and necessary steps to identify and address "disproportionately high and adverse" effects of federal projects on the health or environment of low-income and minority populations. Also, representatives of any low-income or minority populations in the community that may be affected by a project must be given the opportunity to be included in the impact assessment and public involvement process.
3.5.1 Existing Conditions
The beltway alternatives are located in Census Tracts 37.03, 101, 103, and 104, all in Lancaster County. The four census tracts comprise approximately 8.0 percent of the total population of the county and approximately 65 percent of the total land area of the county.
Table 3.5 summarizes selected 1990 Census Data regarding these tracts and the greater community of Lancaster County. The median household income for each of the four census tracts is substantially higher than the median household income of Lancaster County. Also, the percentage of persons living below the poverty level in each of the four census tracts is substantially less than the percentage for Lancaster County.
| 1990
CENSUS STATISTIC |
Lancaster County | Census Tract 37.03 | Census Tract 101 | Census Tract 103 | Census Tract 104 |
| Median Household Income | $28,909 | $51,619 | $35,212 | $33,733 | $30,799 |
| Percent below Poverty Level | 10.5% | 5.6% | 1.6% | 4.1% | 5.7% |
Table 3.6 shows the number of minority residents in the beltway census tracts compared to the number of minority residents in all of Lancaster County. The percent of minority residents in each of the four census tracts is substantially less than that of Lancaster County.
| 1990
CENSUS STATISTIC |
Lancaster County | Census Tract 37.03 | Census Tract 101 | Census Tract 103 | Census Tract 104 | |||||
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | |
| White | 202,663 | 94.86 | 4,512 | 98.84 | 4,211 | 99.36 | 2,994 | 98.98 | 5,238 | 99.13 |
| Black | 4,659 | 2.18 | 18 | 0.39 | 4 | 0.09 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 12 | 0.23 |
| American Indian, Eskimo, or Aleut | 1,207 | 0.56 | 3 | 0.07 | 3 | 0.07 | 22 | 0.73 | 13 | 0.25 |
| Asian or Pacific Islander | 3,367 | 1.58 | 26 | 0.57 | 13 | 0.31 | 6 | 0.20 | 17 | 0.32 |
| Other Race | 1,745 | 0.82 | 6 | 0.13 | 7 | 0.17 | 3 | 0.10 | 4 | 0.08 |
| Hispanic Origin
(of any race) |
3,938 | 1.84 | 45 | 0.99 | 22 | 0.52 | 19 | 0.63 | 39 | 0.74 |
3.5.2 Impacts of the Four Finalist Alternatives
None of the finalist alternatives will impact low-income or minority neighborhoods or populations.
3.5.3 Proposed Mitigation
No mitigation is necessary.
3.5.4 No Build Alternative
The no build alternative would also have no impact on low income or minority populations.
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