Establish criteria to identify disadvantaged communities.
- Date Due:
- Responsible Entity:
- Action:
- Summary:
- Status:
- Statute:
- N/A
- CJWG
- Establish criteria to identify disadvantaged communities.
- The CJWG, in consultation with the DEC, the DOH, DOL, NYSERDA, and the EJAG, will establish criteria to identify disadvantaged communities including geographic, public health, environmental hazard, and socioeconomic criteria.
- EXECUTED: On March 27, 2023, the Climate Justice Working Group finalized its criteria for identifying disadvantaged communities.
- CLCPA § 2 adds new ECL § 75-0111(1)(b)-(c)
The CLCPA instructs the Climate Justice Working Group (“CJWG”), in consultation with the DEC, DOH, DOL, NYSERDA, and the Environmental Justice Advisory Group to establish criteria in order to identify disadvantaged communities for co-pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions reductions, regulatory impact statements, and the allocation of investments. These disadvantaged communities will be identified based on geographic, public health, environmental hazard, and socioeconomic criteria.
Statutory Language:
CLCPA § 75-0111(1)(b)-(c): “The working group, in consultation with the department, the departments of health and labor, the New York state energy and research development authority, and the environmental justice advisory group, will establish criteria to identify disadvantaged communities for the purposes of co-pollutant reductions, greenhouse gas emissions reductions, regulatory impact statements, and the allocation of investments related to this article. c. Disadvantaged communities shall be identified based on geographic, public health, environmental hazard, and socioeconomic criteria, which shall include but are not limited to: i. areas burdened by cumulative environmental pollution and other hazards that can lead to negative public health effects; ii. areas with concentrations of people that are of low income, high unemployment, high rent burden, low levels of home ownership, low levels of educational attainment, or members of groups that have historically experienced discrimination on the basis of race or ethnicity; and iii. areas vulnerable to the impacts of climate change such as flooding, storm surges, and urban heat island effects.”