Leveraging Geospatial Data for Justice40-Covered Programs

Justice40 is a federally mandated initiative that aims to ensure that communities that have been historically marginalized and disproportionately impacted by climate change and pollution receive their fair share of benefits from federal investments. The program is named for its ambitious goal to allocate 40% of certain federal investments to vulnerable populations.

In this blog, we explore various funding programs that fall under the Justice40 framework and their potential to enhance equitable access to infrastructure advancements and climate resilience measures for disadvantaged communities across the US. We also examine the role of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered geospatial data in helping local and state governments access funding and inform decision-making related to Justice40 initiatives.

Understanding Justice40 

Justice40 was launched by the federal government in 2021 as part of a series of executive actions to combat climate change. Recognizing that certain communities bear a disproportionate burden of environmental, economic, and social inequities, Justice40 aims to mitigate this imbalance by directing resources and benefits toward them. 

The program uses the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) to identify disadvantaged communities based on environmental and socioeconomic indicators within census tracts. The disparities highlighted by CEJST underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions to address environmental and social injustices in these marginalized communities. For example, people residing in disadvantaged neighborhoods, as defined by CEJST, are three times as likely to be living below the poverty line and have an average lifespan three years shorter than their counterparts in more privileged neighborhoods. 

Rather than creating entirely new funding streams, the Justice40 initiative mainly works by targeting existing federal funding programs across various agencies and departments. This approach allows Justice40 to leverage the resources and infrastructure already in place within federal agencies while ensuring that a significant portion of the benefits from these programs go to disadvantaged communities. 

There are hundreds of Justice40-covered programs administered by entities such as the Department of Transportation, Environmental Protection Agency, and Department of Energy. These programs aim to help enhance climate resilience, create safer and more sustainable transportation infrastructure, facilitate the development of stormwater infrastructure, and address various other challenges. While the scope for each Justice40-covered program varies, the overarching aim is to ensure that at least 40% of the overall benefits from the investment flow to disadvantaged communities identified by CEJST.

Justice40-covered programs from the Environmental Protection Agency

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) oversees numerous grants and initiatives falling under the umbrella of Justice40. Altogether, there are more than 70 EPA programs covered by Justice40, and a considerable portion of these initiatives center around enhancing stormwater infrastructure.

Clean Water State Revolving Fund

The Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) is an initiative overseen by the EPA across all states, aiming to support water infrastructure projects through the provision of low-interest loans. As these loans are paid back, the funds are then reinvested into the program, facilitating the continuous circulation of resources within each state.

Individual states are responsible for managing their respective CWSRF programs, enabling them to customize loan terms such as interest rates and repayment periods to suit the specific needs of their communities and environmental concerns. Recent congressional authorizations have expanded the financial assistance available through grants, principal forgiveness, and loans with negative interest rates. CWSRF provides assistance for different types of water infrastructure projects related to stormwater management, water conservation, and more. 

To learn more about your state’s CWSRF program, click here.

Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act

The Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) is a federal credit program administered by the EPA for eligible water and wastewater infrastructure projects, including wastewater and drinking water treatment and energy efficiency enhancements. The minimum project size ranges from $5 million to $20 million depending on the size of the community. WIFIA can cover up to 49% of project costs, with federal assistance capped at 80%. 

One potential application of WIFIA loan funds involves leveraging geospatial and mapping data to aid in the planning, management, and development of water-related infrastructure. Further use cases and details about the program can be found here.

Comprehensive land cover data for Justice40

Geospatial data plays a crucial role in accessing funding, informing planning, and monitoring the progress of Justice40-covered programs. Specifically, many Justice40-covered programs from the EPA require high-precision land cover data.

When it comes to effectively planning, developing, and managing stormwater infrastructure projects like those that could be supported through CWSRF or WIFIA funding, reliable mapping data is imperative. At Ecopia AI (Ecopia), our AI-based mapping systems extract the most comprehensive, accurate, and up-to-date land cover features from geospatial imagery. Examples of land cover features provided by Ecopia include detailed impervious and pervious surfaces like buildings, pavement, roads, tree canopy, grass, shrubs, bareland, gravel, water, and any other features visibly discernible in geospatial imagery. The resulting highly detailed and up-to-date maps provide states and municipalities with a scalable source of truth for land cover, fueling applications of federal funding, like stormwater mapping.

Justice40-covered programs from the Department of Transportation

Much like the EPA, the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) manages a variety of grants and funding programs encompassed within the scope of Justice40. Below, we will highlight a few examples of programs offered by the DOT that fall under the Justice40 framework. 

PROTECT Program

The DOT’s Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) program allocates $1.4 billion in funding to state DOTs and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) over 5 years. This funding aims to mitigate the impact of climate change on transportation network performance and bolster the resilience of transportation infrastructure. 

Funds are distributed annually and are generally split between planning and construction activities. Eligible uses include highway and transit projects aimed at bolstering the resilience of transportation infrastructure against the effects of flooding, wildfires, and other natural disasters. To apply for PROTECT funds, states typically develop resiliency plans with MPOs. 

To learn more about the PROTECT program including eligibility and funding information, click here.

Safe Streets and Roads for All

The Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program offers $5 billion of funds for eligible transportation projects between 2022 and 2026. 

Aiming to prevent roadway injuries and deaths, the SS4A program supports the development of a comprehensive safety action plan that identifies the most significant roadway safety concerns in a community and outlines the implementation of projects and strategies to address theseroadway safety issues. The SS4A program provides funding for two types of grants: 1) planning and demonstration grants and 2) implementation grants.

To learn more about SS4A and how to apply click here. ‍

The PROTECT program and SS4A are just a few of the many Justice40-covered programs offered by the US DOT. You can find the full list of programs here.

Geospatial transportation infrastructure data for Justice40

AI-powered geospatial data for advanced transportation features

Just as EPA Justice40 initiatives require high-precision land cover data, numerous Justice40 programs administered by the DOT rely on detailed transportation data. 

When it comes to transportation infrastructure, high-precision geospatial data provides insights into accessibility, highlighting disparities in multimodal transportation options among different communities. This information is crucial for planning transportation projects that enhance mobility and connectivity, particularly in underserved areas. Moreover, geospatial data is critical for evaluating the effectiveness of programs and facilitating data-driven decisions to enhance resource allocation. This is especially important as Justice40-covered programs often require data-driven reporting on the benefits flowing to disadvantaged communities.

Access to comprehensive, accurate, and up-to-date geospatial data is indispensable for achieving the overarching goals of equity and sustainability embedded within the Justice40 framework. However, acquiring geospatial data has traditionally been a laborious and costly process for DOTs and MPOs, often involving manual digitization of extensive and complex transportation elements such as sidewalks. Fortunately, advancements in technology are changing this. At Ecopia, our AI-powered mapping systems extract high-precision vector data for transportation features from geospatial imagery. We collaborate with DOTs, MPOs, and local governments to map the necessary features for planning and securing funding, eliminating the need for manual digitization. Ecopia’s Advanced Transportation Features provide comprehensive vector layers for critical transportation infrastructure, including sidewalks, crosswalks, medians, bike lanes, turning lanes, striping, intersections, tree canopy, and more.

Justice40 success story: Arizona Sun Cloud

Ecopia's advanced mapping systems empower organizations to access detailed transportation features efficiently and accurately. In Arizona, Ecopia supplied detailed transportation features to the Arizona Sun Cloud, an open data platform catering to the Sun Corridor megaregion spanning 5 counties. Supported by a Federal Highways Administration grant, this endeavor seeks to address the urban planning complexities stemming from the area's rapid expansion. Using Ecopia's AI-powered mapping data, the portal delivers top-tier transportation data encompassing bike lanes, sidewalks, and traffic medians, empowering local communities to make well-informed decisions concerning infrastructure development and mobility. Currently, data sourced from the Arizona Sun Cloud fuels critical planning efforts across the region, including the assessment of transportation infrastructure and mobility within Justice40 underserved areas. You can learn more about the project by clicking here.

Enhancing equity through Justice40

If you are interested in learning more about applying for Justice40-covered programs, our team is here to support you. Whether you're in need of advanced transportation data or detailed land cover features, our team can provide you with the comprehensive, accurate, and up-to-date data necessary to access funding and achieve your community's goals. Reach out touch today to get started.