Air and Waste Management Association Holds its First Annual Environmental Justice Conference
Posted: November 14th, 2023
A&WMA held its first annual conference on EJ in Arlington, VA on October 23rd and 24th. The conference had a different vibe than most of the environmental conferences industry attends and had two distinct sets of attendees: Industry […]
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New Jersey Environmental Justice Rule Public Participation and Implications
Posted: October 26th, 2023
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) published the final Environmental Justice Rule (EJ Rule) on April 17, 2023. The EJ Rule (N.J.A.C. 7:1C) was promulgated in response to New Jersey’s Environmental Justice Law (EJ Law) that was signed […]
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Advancing Environmental Justice: New Jersey’s Approach to Addressing Cumulative Stressors
Posted: October 16th, 2023
Advancing Environmental Justice: New Jersey’s Approach to Addressing Cumulative Stressors On April 17, 2023, the final Environmental Justice (EJ) Rule (N.J.A.C. 7:1C) officially became effective in New Jersey (NJ). The overall goal of this EJ Rule is to avoid disproportionate […]
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Unlocking Opportunities: Pennsylvania’s New Environmental Justice Policy Takes Effect on September 16, 2023
Posted: September 20th, 2023
On September 16th, 2023, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) adopted an interim final Environmental Justice (EJ) policy (Interim Final EJ Policy) that introduces new requirements for projects classified as “trigger projects” when they apply for permits from […]
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Equity in Virginia Permitting: A Focus on Environmental Justice
Posted: September 13th, 2023
The Commonwealth of Virginia (VA or Commonwealth) enacted the Virginia Environmental Justice (EJ) Act (Act) in 2020, making a VA policy to, “… promote environmental justice and ensure that it is carried out throughout the Commonwealth, with a focus on […]
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U.S. EPA Releases the ECHO Clean Air Tracking Tool (ECATT) and EJScreen 2.2
Posted: July 19th, 2023
In the last few weeks, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) has released one new tool, the Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) Clean Air Tracking Tool (ECATT), and updated another, releasing EJScreen version 2.2. These new tools […]
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New Jersey Environmental Justice Final Rule Effective April 17, 2023
Posted: May 3rd, 2023
In 2018, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy issued Executive Order 23, ordering all state executive branch agencies to begin incorporating environmental justice (EJ) principles into their policies and procedures. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) is one of […]
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Massachusetts & New York Cumulative Impact Rules
Posted: April 27th, 2023
Cumulative impacts, in the context of environmental justice (EJ), refer to a proposed project’s direct environmental impact across all media (air, water, waste, etc.) in conjunction with other nearby sources and existing social stressors in the surrounding communities. This impact […]
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Environmental Justice Concerns in Air Permitting
Posted: February 22nd, 2023
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) Office of Air and Radiation identified eight principles addressing environmental justice in Clean Air Act (CAA) permitting decisions in a December 22, 2022 Memorandum authored by Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator Joseph Goffman. U.S. […]
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Biden Administration Issues New Executive Order on Environmental Justice
Posted: February 21st, 2023
On February 16, 2023, the Biden Administration issued a new Executive Order (EO) “Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.” (A fact sheet summarizing the action is here.) The EO builds on EO 13985, […]
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