Environmental Justice through Toxics Use Reduction
Toxics use reduction is a best practice for advancing the pursuit of environmental justice for all. This approach involves upstream interventions and helps users of chemicals find safer alternatives to hazardous chemicals, which can minimize or even eliminate potential harms to communities and the environment. Prioritizing the adoption of safer alternatives upstream is the preferred means of protecting those most vulnerable or at risk—children, income-disadvantaged people, workers, persons with disabilities, older persons, indigenous peoples, migrants, and people of color—while taking into account gender-specific risks.
TURI’s Environmental Justice report (updated February 2026) analyzes the use and release of toxics in Massachusetts through an environmental justice lens. A wealth of data is generated by the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA) on the use and release of toxics in the Commonwealth. This report draws upon TURA Data,, aiming to help government agencies, businesses and communities identify opportunities to advance environmental justice by reducing the use of Toxics in Massachusetts.
The analysis is largely on a municipality-by-municipality basis, distinguished by the percentage of the population living in Environmental Justice Neighborhoods (EJ Neighborhoods). It considers municipalities in Massachusetts with high levels of the population living in EJ Neighborhoods, as well as the specific populations and groups that make up those communities.
Environmental justice is based on the principle that all people have a right to be protected from environmental hazards and to live in and enjoy a clean and healthful environment regardless of race, color, national origin, income, or English language proficiency.
– Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA)
Key Takeaways
The following are some of the key findings from TURI’s 2025 report analyzing TURA Data:
- From 2000 to 2023, the average use of toxics per municipality was greatest in those with 75% or more of their population living in Environmental Justice (EJ) neighborhoods.
- A preliminary analysis using the EJ Screen Tool found that communities with high densities of EJ neighborhoods were above state averages for several environmental burden indicators (e.g., lead paint risk and exposure to air pollution). This, combined with barriers that impede at-risk groups from organizing for increased protection from the use and release of toxics, suggests that these communities are more susceptible to negative health outcomes due to toxics exposure.
- Toxics use reduction efforts have had a significant positive impact on reducing the releases of toxics in Massachusetts, including in those municipalities with 75% or more of the population living in EJ neighborhoods. However, the average release of toxics per municipality was still highest in this group.
- In 2023, the average use and release of toxics, number of TURA facilities, and the quantity of chemicals shipped were all highest for the group of municipalities with 75% or more of the population living in EJ neighborhoods. This suggests that those living in EJ neighborhoods may continue to face comparatively greater risk of negative health outcomes due to toxics use and release.
- Toxics use reduction efforts by businesses in municipalities with higher EJ populations have been highly effective at reducing the total use and release of certain TURA Higher Hazard Substances (e.g., carcinogens). However, use and release of many of these substances has historically, and continues to be, greatest in the municipality groups with more of the population living in an EJ neighborhood.
- Asthma prevalence is comparatively higher in many municipalities with significant environmental justice populations, and among lower-income and African American populations statewide. Municipalities with the highest share of residents in EJ neighborhoods have historically shown higher average use and release of toxics linked to asthma. However, toxics use reduction actions by businesses under TURA have been successful in reducing both the use and release of these chemicals, including in the most affected municipalities.
- Massachusetts PFAS testing data as of October 2025 does not show greater PFAS concentrations in the drinking water of municipalities with higher proportions of their population living in EJ neighborhoods. However, two facilities that reported PFAS releases under TURA in 2023 are located within or close to EJ neighborhoods.
Toxics Use Reduction is a best practice for advancing the pursuit of environmental justice for all.
