Will 2021 Be the Year for Environmental Justice Legislation? States Are Already Leading the Way
by Kristoffer Tigue (Inside Climate News) The new state laws address the disproportionate impact of climate change and pollution on communities of color. Joe Biden is promising to do the same in Washington. — In Oregon, new legislation would require state officials to consider the “cumulative” impact on neighborhoods already overburdened by pollution before granting permits to projects that potentially pose a threat to human health or the environment.
In Illinois, a bill would dedicate $2 billion to fund clean energy and climate mitigation initiatives in low-income communities of color by 2030.
And in Massachusetts, lawmakers immediately promised on Thursday to refile a bill that would for the first time codify the definition of an “environmental justice community” in state law after Republican Gov. Charlie Baker vetoed it, providing an early indication of how contentious the issue could become. READ MORE
Md. Needs an Environmental Justice Plan, Advocates Say (Maryland Matters)
Md. Environmental Justice Commission Promises to be More Effective Next Session (Maryland Matters)
