At the July NOACA Governing Board meeting, members adopted Planning for All People in Northeast Ohio, a report addressing environmental justice issues in the NOACA region. Federal guidance requires that metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) such as NOACA comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by incorporating environmental justice into transportation planning and public involvement processes.

In response, NOACA staff conducted an environmental justice analysis in May 2001 when developing the State Fiscal Year 2002-2005 Transportation Improvement Program. Staff identified the residential, employment and transportation patterns of low-income and minority populations, evaluated the impacts of proposed transportation improvements on these traditionally disadvantaged populations, and issued a report. This spring, for the Framework for Action 2025 Update, NOACA staff assessed proposed Plan projects and programs for their impacts on low-income and minority populations, and updated the report. Analysis indicates that implementation of the updated Framework for Action 2025 will provide benefit to identified environmental justice populations and will not negatively impact them. 

NOACA staff also distributed the Black River Remedial Action Plan 2001 Annual Report. The report highlights activities conducted in the Black River watershed over the past year as well as priority projects for the upcoming year. The Black RAP, organized in 1991, is celebrating 10 years of progress and water quality improvement in the Black River Watershed, which is located in Lorain and Medina counties.