Environmental Justice and Overburdened Communities in NJ

This will be an online event only. Please register to have a teleconferencing link emailed to you Tuesday, 11/17, at 3pm with a repeat send at 4pm.

New Jersey in September enacted legislation some advocates hail as the strongest environmental justice law in the country.

The legislation (S-232) requires the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to evaluate the environmental and public health impacts on vulnerable communities when reviewing permit applications for certain new facilities such as gas-fired power plants, incinerators, sewage plants, landfills, and others.

Questions arise regarding the implementation and impact of the legislation:

• How will the new facility evaluation process work?

• What are the environmental impact benchmarks that signify disproportionate effect pollution impact on overburdened communities?

• Will implementation of the legislation achieve the reductions in pollution long sought by environment justice advocates?

Please join NJ Spotlight News for a virtual roundtable featuring government officials, advocates, and business representatives to discuss these and other questions regarding the New Jersey's new environmental justice law.

Panelists:

Raymond Cantor, Vice President, Government Affairs, New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA)

Shawn M. LaTourette, Deputy Commissioner & Chief of Staff, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP)

Melissa Miles, Executive Director, New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance (NJEJA)

Maria Lopez-Nuñez, Deputy Director, Organizing and Advocacy, Ironbound Community Corporation (ICC)

Moderator:

Tom Johnson, NJ Spotlight News Energy & Environment Writer