Illinois EPA to Convene First Meeting of State Environmental Justice Commission

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) today announced that the first meeting of the Illinois Commission on Environmental Justice will be held August 14^th at 10 a.m. in Chicago and Springfield.

 

 The commission will operate under the principle that environmental justice requires that no segment of the population, regardless of race, national origin, age, or income, should bear disproportionately high or adverse effects of environmental pollution. The commission is charged with advising state entities on environmental justice; analyzing the impact of state and local laws and policies on environmental justice and sustainable communities; developing criteria to assess whether communities in the state may be experiencing environmental issues and recommending options to the Governor’s office and legislators for addressing these issues.

 

The 20-member volunteer and non-compensated commission will include six state agency directors, a representative of each legislative caucus and 10 members appointed by the Governor to represent affected communities, businesses, environmental organizations, units of local government, experts on environmental health and justice and interested members of the public.

 

“As a community member in one of the many frontline communities of Chicago, we are excited to be a part of the Illinois Environmental Justice Commission,” said Kimberly Wasserman Nieto, Commission Chair and Executive Director of the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization. “To be at the table with different stakeholders working on rural and urban issues that affect us all give us hope to the future of the environment in Illinois.”  

 

Media and members of the public are invited to the meeting, which will be held at 10 a.m. August 14^th at:

 

James R. Thompson Center

Illinois Pollution Control Board

9th Floor-Conference Room 035

100 West Randolph Street

Chicago

 

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency

Illinois Pollution Control Board

Conference Room (adjacent to library)

1021 North Grand Avenue East

Springfield