In February 2024, the ECOS Environmental Justice (EJ) Workgroup welcomed Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) to discuss interagency and external coordination on EJ issues. DEEP’s presentation slides can be viewed here, and the meeting recording is available below:
Michigan’s Interagency EJ Response Team consists of representatives from EGLE, the Department of Natural Resources, the Office of Civil Rights, and other cabinet-level agencies. Topic-specific workgroups meet monthly, and the Team collaborates with the community-engagement focused Michigan Advisory Council for EJ to plan the biyearly Michigan Environmental Justice Conference. Connecticut’s Equity and Environmental Justice Advisory Council (CEEJAC) brings together representatives from state agencies, EJ communities, large and small businesses, and municipalities. Within CEEJAC, DEEP leads issue-based subcommittees to develop community engagement plans, integrate EJ into decision-making, and strengthen partnerships. Both states’ interagency groups were formed by executive order.
Thank you to Regina Strong of EGLE and Sarah Huang of DEEP for sharing their experiences and lessons learned with the ECOS EJ Workgroup.
