Minnesota Pollution Control Agency issued the following announcement on July 2.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency today announced it is looking for six new community members to join the agency’s Environmental Justice Advisory Group. The advisory group was formed in 2016 to provide input and recommendations about ways to incorporate environmental justice principles into the MPCA’s work.
“When it comes to protecting our land, air and water, the MPCA needs to hear diverse voices before making decisions on permitting decisions,” said MPCA Commissioner Laura Bishop. “The Environmental Justice Advisory Group provides necessary counsel on how the MPCA can do a better job soliciting feedback from communities that are too often overlooked.”
The Advisory Group provides recommendations and advises the MPCA Commissioner in four key areas, including:
Evaluating the effectiveness of the MPCA in implementing its environmental justice framework,
Providing recommendations to ensure integration of environmental justice principles into the MPCA’s work and;
Collaborating with the MPCA to improve civic engagement around environmental justice issues.
Sharing oral history and community experiences so the agency can better understand the communities they serve.
The MPCA wlll host information sessions in the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota to provide more information on the advisory group’s scope, function, and goals. The group's charter and application materials can be found on the MPCA’s Environmental Justice Advisory Group webpage.
To intentionally create a diverse committee of Minnesotans, candidates from various racial, cultural, economic and geographic backgrounds are encouraged apply. The application deadline is August 12, 2019. Interested individuals are encouraged to contact Jose Luis Villasenor, MPCA’s environmental justice coordinator, at joseluis.villasenor@state.mn.us or call 651-757-2575 with any questions.
Original source can be found here.
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