Environmental justice is a relatively new issue in environmental decision making, particularly outside of the United States. It raises the important question of the role of equity in government decision making. In February 2000, the US National Academy of Public Administration defined social equity as ‘the fair, just and equitable management of all institutions serving the public directly or by contract and the fair, just and equitable distribution of public services and implementation of public policy’. 1 Environmental justice concerns fall directly within this definition of social equity. They involve the ability of all people, regardless of race or economic status, to be involved in the environmental decision-making process, to be free from disproportionate environmental impacts, and to share environmental benefits and amenities. Effective integration of environmental justice in environmental decision making requires consistent leadership from senior managers, integration of justice considerations into critical environmental processes such as regulation development, permitting and enforcement, and a set of tools that allow decision makers, be they government officials or private developers, to readily accommodate justice considerations in their regular activities. Over the past few years the concept of environmental justice has become a global issue often related to discussions of human rights.