(AGENPARL) – ven 05 aprile 2024 Issued: Apr 5, 2024 (1:23pm EDT)
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EPA and DEC Launch Statewide Environmental Justice Listening Tour
Meetings Advance Community Conversations and Engagement around Federal and New
York State Environmental Justice Programs
First Listening Session Scheduled for April 15 in Niagara Falls
NEW YORK (April 5, 2024) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today
announced a series of Environmental Justice listening sessions to support and
enhance meaningful engagement with communities with environmental justice
concerns. The events support DEC and EPA’s ongoing efforts to promote and
enhance existing state and federal Environmental Justice programs to better
serve the community, build relationships between the agencies and community
members, and help prioritize future outreach efforts for public participation.
“Communities speak for themselves, and EPA is here to listen. We are honored
to kick off our EJ Listening Tour in Western New York with DEC to better
understand the unique challenges and aspirations of communities affected by
the cumulative impacts of legacy pollution, climate change, and historic
disinvestment,” Regional EPA Administrator Lisa F. Garcia said. “Our goal
is to establish stronger relationships with community leaders and people
potentially affected by environmental pollution to promote meaningful
engagement.”
“New York State is making significant progress to address longstanding
environmental issues affecting disadvantaged communities, but more work must
be done to advance DEC’s environmental justice objectives to improve the
health and wellbeing of marginalized New Yorkers,” DEC Commissioner Basil
Seggos said. “DEC is proud to partner with the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency to launch this listening tour and hear directly from Indigenous Nations
and communities disproportionately impacted by environmental pollution and
climate change, particularly greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.”
The listening sessions are jointly organized by EPA Region 2 and DEC’s
Offices of Environmental Justice and Indian Nation Affairs. The first meeting
will be held on April 15 at the Niagara Arts and Cultural Center, 1201 Pine
Avenue, Niagara Falls. Doors open at 5 p.m. and participants can attend any
time between 5 to 7:30 p.m. to participate in an informal and interactive open
house with EPA and DEC technical experts. There will be a formal presentation
and brief remarks by DEC and EPA leadership at 6 p.m., with opportunities for
attendees to provide input throughout the evening.
Participants will be able to engage with staff from both agencies to provide
comments and feedback on environmental issues in their neighborhoods during
the listening session. DEC and EPA will also have information on grant and
technical assistance opportunities available. Future sessions are planned
statewide and will be announced throughout 2024 and 2025.