The Environmental Justice (EJ) Advisory Council and Interagency EJ Committee will meet several times in August and these meetings are open to the public!
Background: The EJ Advisory Council and Interagency EJ Committee were created by the Vermont EJ Law in 2022. The purpose of the EJ Law is to ensure all Vermonters regardless of race, cultural background, or income have equitable access to environmental benefits such as clean air and water, healthy food, and public transportation. The EJ Law also protects communities from disproportionate environmental burdens such as polluted air and water, climate change impacts, and limited access to green spaces. And the EJ Law requires State agencies to meaningfully engage Vermonters in the environmental decision-making processes.
Meeting Details: There are several upcoming public meetings of the EJ Advisory Council and Interagency EJ Committee in August. The focus of these meetings will be drafting the core principles of community engagement, the first deliverable of the Vermont EJ Law. There will opportunities throughout the meetings for public comment. If you don’t have time to attend the meetings, you can provide input about the core principles of community engagement using this public input survey!
Any questions? Reach out the EJ Coordinators (Phoebs.Potter@vermont.gov and Alex.Lintner@vermont.gov).