April 10, 2012

A Second Look at EPA's New EJ Priorities

A year ago, ELI convened a panel to examine the ways and the extent to which EPA’s environmental justice initiatives were likely to affect the agency’s regulatory and permitting activities, and the questions that those initiatives raised by various stakeholders in the environmental law and policy communities. It’s time to revisit EPA’s Interim Guidance on Considering Environmental Justice During the Development of an Action and the now-final Plan EJ 2014. What progress has the agency made in integrating environmental justice considerations into its programs and promoting continuous, meaningful engagement with affected communities and other stakeholders? What progress has the agency made with respect to the rulemaking guidance that was intended to serve as a step-by-step guide that would help EPA staff determine whether regulatory actions raised environmental justice concerns? What progress has the agency made in using newly available scientific data to help EPA staff make informed decisions that advance the Administrator’s environmental justice goals? Our panel of experts continued the discussion on the efficacy of EPA’s environmental justice initiatives.

Panelists:
Barry Hill, Visiting Scholar, Environmental Law Institute (moderator)
Sue Briggum, Vice President for Governmental Affairs, Waste Management, member of National Environmental Justice Advisory Council
Lisa Garcia, Associate Assistant Administrator for Environmental Justice, U.S. EPA
Vernice Miller-Travis, Maryland State Commission on Environmental Justice and Sustainable Communities, member of National Environmental Justice Advisory Council

Materials:
NEJAC reports containing advice and recommendations to the Agency
Environmental Injustice in the U.S. and Recommendations for Eliminating Disparities, a Collaborative Report by The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, June 2010
"Plan EJ 2014 Legal Tools identifies key legal authorities for EPA policy makers to consider in advancing environmental justice."
mp3 recording