Challenges and opportunities for research supporting cumulative impact assessments at the United States environmental protection agency's office of research and development
Many people, throughout the course of their lives, live, learn, work, and play in communities with polluted environments, shaped by policies and decisions made long before they moved into their homes. In some communities in the United States, decreased lifespan is linked to zip code because of a legacy of disparity in built, natural, and social environments and the resulting impacts on health, well-being, and quality of life. The goal of the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (U.S. EPA or the Agency) Office of Research and Development’s (ORD) cumulative impacts research program is to lead the Agency’s efforts to work with communities to develop actionable science aimed at informing decisions to make their lives better, healthier, and longer.