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Evolution of Environmental Justice CLE

 

Evolution of Environmental Justice at the State and Federal Levels

April 25, 2023 | 2-3pm

The former Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and current EPA Administrator, Michael Regan, has highlighted environmental justice as one of his key priorities. Administrator Regan has explained that EPA is committed to increasing efforts to deliver environmental justice in communities across the nation. To elevate environmental justice as a top Agency priority, Regan has proposed a series of initiatives, including the national environmental justice program office to coordinate and maximize the benefits of EPA’s programs and activities for underserved communities. EPA also has updated its environmental justice guidance document called EPA Legal Tools to Advance Environmental Justice. States in the Midwest and the South have made the promotion of environmental justice a high priority within their environmental protection agencies. The environmental justice landscape is not well defined and constantly is shifting. Parker Poe’s legal team will provide updates on the environmental justice landscape at the state and federal levels.

Speakers

Steve Weber | Attorney | steveweber@parkerpoe.com | 704.335.9065

Kalyn Simmons | Attorney | kalynsimmons@parkerpoe.com | 919.835.4046

Agenda

1:55     Welcome (5 minutes)

2:00     Background on environmental justice in the U.S. (10 mins)

2:10     Evolution of environmental justice under recent presidential administrations (10 mins)

2:20     Recent developments at the federal level and importance of administrator Regan to those developments (15 mins)

•           EPA initiatives and programs for underserved communities

2:35     State environmental justice initiatives and examples of environmental justice evaluation in practice (20 minutes)

•           Environmental justice in Administrator Regan’s home state of North Carolina

•           Similar developments in other states

2:55     What the future holds for environmental justice (5 minutes)

3:00     Closing & participant questions (5 minutes)