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210 GYULA NAGY
resistance, on 11 February 1994, the United States government passed a decree
on environmental justice stipulating that the idea of environmental justice be
incorporated in the policy of all federal developments and environmental agencies.
It also spelt out that efforts should be made to realize environmental justice not
only in policy but also in action plans and programs.
The research of the past three decades has gradually shifted its focus from the
minorities and distribution to the study of spatial, geographical evolution and the
distribution of injustices. The emphasis of contemporary environmental justice
research is not only on space and locality, but increasingly on the exploration of
underlying — global or local — implications. In addition to the presentation of unjust
events, the drivers and conseguences of the problems are also researched. Walker
(2012) claims there are three factors to be studied simultaneously when researching
environmental injustices: the notion of justice; the evidence of the unjust processes;
events, situations, and the process(es) that led to the given situation (fig. 1).
JUSTICE P| EVIDENCE
“As things “As things are.”
should be.” . ae
Normative Descriptive
Explanatory
PROCESS
“What are things like
and why?”
Figure 1. Elements of the study of environmental justice.
Source: author on the basis of Walker, G. (2022)
Conceptual frameworks of environmental justice
Environmental justice is a complex notion built of various components. Though
it seemingly comprises two main elements: justice and the environment — its
content and quality — it implies more than the two notions. It is therefore necessary
to describe these one by one, as well as environmental justice as a whole.
Environmental justice, as first defined by the American Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA),
“\.. is the fair treatment and meaning involvement of all people regardless of race,
color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation
and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies. This is to be ensured
for individuals, national communities and the entire nation. This goal will be
achieved when everyone enjoys the same degree of protection from environmental
and health hazards, and equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy
environment in which to live, learn and work.”
Thus, environmental justice can be defined as the universal right of human beings
to an environment of identical conditions and quality in which they can live a full
life (1), having an equal share of the risks and harms caused by social-economic
activities or political decisions (2) or by natural processes taking place in nature (3).