Cumulative Burden Threshold
A scoring cutoff (for example, the top 5% nationally for both poverty and pollution exposure) above which a neighborhood becomes officially designated as a disadvantaged or overburdened community, qualifying it for federal cleanup funds and protections.
Related terms
EJScreen The EPA's Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool. It overlays environmental burdens (Superfund proximity, traffic, toxic discharges) with demographic vulnerabilities to identify disadvantaged communities. Overburdened Community A term officially adopted by the EPA and state governments to describe minority, low-income, tribal, or indigenous populations that experience a disproportionate amount of environmental harm and health risk compared to the general population. Disadvantaged Community A community designated by federal or state government as bearing a heavy combination of environmental, economic, and health burdens, qualifying it for targeted investment under programs like Justice40. Percentile A statistical ranking that shows what percentage of a group falls at or below a given value. Being in the 95th percentile for pollution exposure means only 5% of areas are more polluted. Federal Cleanup Funds Money allocated by Congress (under programs like Superfund, the Inflation Reduction Act, and Justice40) to remediate contaminated land or fund environmental health work in disadvantaged communities.