The DEP Office of Environmental Justice will hold two virtual public sessions to hear comments and suggestions from a variety of stakeholders on revising the existing Environmental Justice Public Participation Policy.

The sessions will held--

-- March 22 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

-- March 31 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Click Here for directions on joining by conference call or online via WebEx.

Specifically, DEP’s Office of Environmental Justice is seeking input on the following questions:

-- How can the EJ Policy address communities’ environmental justice concerns?

-- What worked and what were challenges with the current EJ Policy?

-- How can we improve the public participation process within the policy?

-- How can DEP address environmental justice concerns in addition to permitting? What are your suggestions about addressing EJ through this policy in addition to permitting?

-- DEP currently delineates EJ Areas based on race (>30% minority) and income (>20% in poverty). Do you feel that the current definition, or any definition, of an Environmental Justice Area is effective? What revisions would you recommend for identifying vulnerable communities? Note that there is no federal definition as the US EPA intentionally does not create a definition for EJ Areas or communities, though their EJSCREEN tool is available and uses a variety of factors.

Visit DEP's Environmental Justice Policy Revision webpage for more information.

Related Article:

-- DEP Announces Equity Principles To Guide Investments Thru Proposed Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative

[Posted: March 14, 2021]

3/15/2021