Office of Environmental Justice Establishment Bill
Introduced by Councilor CookieDamage (NJ)
A bill which aims to establish the Office of Environmental Justice within the Department of Agriculture and the Environment. This bill will also establish the Environmental Justice Advisory Council which will be an advisory body within the Office of Environmental Justice.
Section I – DefinitionsA. Environment – The environment, in this bill, is defined as the natural, biophysical, and built environment
.s in which a person or people interact with and are impacted by. The environment includes the air, water,
and soil, as well as artificial environments and structures which interact with and impact the
bodily health of individuals or groups of people.
B. Justice – Justice, in this bill, is defined as the fair, equitable, and impartial distribution of law, policy, and judicial decisions.
C. Injustice – Injustice, in this bill, is defined as the unfair, unequitable, and partial distribution of law, policy, and judicial decision.
D. Environmental justice – Environmental justice, in this bill, is defined as the fair and equitable treatment of people and communities
regarding with respect to the ways their natural, biophysical, and built environments
affect their health and well-being. It includes the fair implementation of environmental law, policy, and procedure with no extra burden or benefit placed on persons or groups because of their race or ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, physical ability, socioeconomic status, religion, or cultural identification.
Environmental justice also analyses how the aggregate health of minority and/or low-income communities is often negatively impacted by environmental risks not present in privileged or wealthy communities. Environmental justice also seeks to identify, mitigate, or reverse environmental activities, policies, or phenomena which are found to have disproportionately negative effects on minority and/or low-income communities.Section II – Establishment and Role of the Office of Environmental Justice and the Environmental Justice and Equity Advisory CouncilA. The Council of Lincoln will establish the Office of Environmental Justice within the Department of Agriculture and the Environment.
B. The Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) will be led by a Department-appointed Coordinator.
C. The OEJ will administer an advisory body known as the Environmental Justice and Equity Advisory Council (EJEAC).
D. The EJEAC will be composed of nineteen members, with spaces reserved for a wide variety of industries, initiatives, non-profit bodies, and community members across Lincoln.
E. Seats of the EJEAC will be filled by qualified applicants as judged by the Department and Office Coordinator.
F. The OEJ will be responsible for aiding the Department in:
a. The implementation of policies, regulations, and procedures aimed at better addressing instances of environmental injustice.
b. The research and analysis of environmental data.
c. The tracking of health data.
d. The identification of areas vulnerable to environmental injustice.
e. Conduct outreach to communities and municipalities.
f. Act as a liaison between communities and the Department.
Section III – AppropriationsA. Appropriation will be determined by the Department of Agriculture and the Environment.
Section IV – ImplementationA. This law shall take effect six months after being signed by the governor.
Clarifying amendment.
