Insider NJ reports that yesterday, Aug. 27, The New Jersey Assembly and Senate passed a bill that allows the state Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to deny permits or make permits conditional, due to cumulative and disproportionate impacts of pollution in environmental justice communities.
Insider NJ reports that key parts of the bill include defining an overburdened community as one where there are significant non-white, non-English speaking, or low income people, requiring major polluters seeking permits in overburdened communities to prepare an Environmental Justice Impact Statement, and empowering the NJDEP to deny permits based on the Environmental Justice Impact Statement.
Environmental Justice advocacy groups praised the bill, saying that is was historic, a critical step, and gives hope to the communities. It’s a “first step” towards ending environmental racism.
Read the Insider NJ article here.
This is the final version of the bill, it could serve as a template for a similar law in your state.
