NEJAC RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY

The document argues that the EPA's definition of cumulative impacts must be actionable, culturally competent, and explicitly inclusive of social determinants of health. It recommends that the EPA workshop and improve the Office of Research and Development's current definition through engagement with frontline communities to ensure it reflects lived experiences and supports health equity.

• The EPA's current definition of cumulative impacts, provided by the Office of Research and Development, describes them as the total exposures to chemical and non-chemical stressors and their resulting effects on quality of life, health, and well-being. However, the term "non-chemical stressor" may not be clearly understood across all contexts.
• To achieve health equity, definitions of cumulative impacts should explicitly incorporate social determinants of health, which the CDC identifies as key drivers of health inequities.
• Regulatory definitions of cumulative impacts must be developed in engagement with frontline community partners to ensure they are culturally competent and relevant to lived experiences. Effective definitions should be location-specific, use plain language, include various types of stressors beyond specific regulatory silos, and incorporate both qualitative and quantitative data, including community-validated stressors.

APA

Gehred, N., & Ellickson, K. (2025). NEJAC RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY. Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/2025-02/NEJAC%20CI%20reccs_theme%202.pdf

Chicago

Gehred, Natalie, and Kristie Ellickson. NEJAC RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2025. https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/2025-02/NEJAC%20CI%20reccs_theme%202.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Gehred |first1=Natalie |last2=Ellickson |first2=Kristie |title=NEJAC RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY |publisher=Union of Concerned Scientists |date=February 2025 |url=https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/2025-02/NEJAC%20CI%20reccs_theme%202.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{gehred2025nejac, author = {Gehred, Natalie and Ellickson, Kristie}, title = {{NEJAC RECOMMENDATIONS SUMMARY}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2025}, month = feb, url = {https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/2025-02/NEJAC%20CI%20reccs_theme%202.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }