GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND ACRONYMS A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z E Environmental Justice (EJ) Environmental Justice (EJ) is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people-regardless of race, color, national origin, or income-in the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) protects human health and safeguards the natural environment (air, water and land) upon which life depends. Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), also known as Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) Title III, provides an infrastructure at the state and local levels to plan for chemical emergencies. Facilities that store, use or release certain chemicals, may be subject to various reporting requirements under EPCRA. Reported information is then made publicly available so that interested parties may become informed about potentially dangerous chemicals in their community. Emergency Response (ER) The Emergency Response (ER) Program provides adequate and timely response measures in communities affected by hazardous substances and oil releases where state and local first responder capabilities have been exceeded or where additional support is needed. Emergency Response Notification System (ERNS) The Emergency Response Notification System (ERNS) is a database used to store information on notifications of oil discharges and hazardous substance releases. ERNS is now part of the National Response Center. Environmental Response Team (ERT) The Environmental Response Team (ERT) was established under Section 311 of the Clean Water Act to provide on-site expertise as required by the National Contingency Plan (NCP) section on Special Forces. Ecotox Thresholds (ET) Ecotox Thresholds (ET) are sufficient amounts of media-specific contaminant concentrations that indicate further site investigation is needed. Superfund site managers use ETs as screening tools to efficiently identify contaminants that may pose an ecological threat and to focus further site activities on those contaminants and the media in which they are found.