Environmental Justice Act of 1992

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Title I: Identification of Environmental High Impact Areas

Title II: Enforcement Initiatives

Title III: Community Participation

Title IV: Identification and Prevention of Health Impacts

Environmental Justice Act of 1992 - Title I: Identification of Environmental High Impact Areas - Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to publish a list, in rank order, of the total weight of toxic chemicals present in each county or other geographic unit in the most recent five-year period for which data are available. Designates the 100 counties with the highest total weight as Environmental High Impact Areas.

Title II: Enforcement Initiatives - Directs the Administrator and the Assistant Secretary of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to conduct compliance inspections or reviews of all toxic chemical facilities in such Areas at least every two years.

Title III: Community Participation - Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make a grant to individuals who may be affected by a release from any toxic chemical facility in such an Area to: (1) facilitate access to the public participation provisions of this and other Acts; and (2) obtain technical assistance relating to inspections, reviews, and studies.

Directs the Administrator to impose user fees or assessments on toxic chemical facilities in such Areas to substitute for appropriations as the funding mechanism for the grant program.

Title IV: Identification and Prevention of Health Impacts - Requires the Secretary to issue a report identifying the extent of acute and chronic health impacts in such Areas as compared to other counties.

Requires the President, if the report identifies significant adverse impacts, to report proposed legislation to the Congress to remedy and prevent such impacts. Includes within such legislation: (1) expansion of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act of 1986 to include additional facilities or chemicals or reduced quantities of chemicals triggering reporting obligations; (2) a means to redress regulatory loopholes (such as wastes exempt from or subject to lessened regulatory requirements); and (3) taxes on emissions or restrictions on releases within such Areas to induce source reduction.

Establishes a moratorium, with exceptions, on the siting or permitting of any toxic chemical facility in such Areas that may emit toxic chemicals in quantities that cause adverse health impacts if the report identifies adverse health impacts of environmental pollution. Continues the moratorium until certain health-based levels have been attained.