Agenda Text
title
Supporting the Environmental Justice Act (MA Bills H.2913 and S.426).
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Official Text
RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF
THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ACT (MASSACHUSETTS BILL H.2913 / S.426)
H.2913/S.426 - An Act Relative to Environmental Justice and Toxics Reduction in the Commonwealth
WHEREAS: The constitution of Massachusetts declares that every person in the Commonwealth “shall have a right to clean air and water”; and
WHEREAS: The Massachusetts Environmental Justice Policy, most recently updated in 2017, states that “all communities must have a strong voice in environmental decision-making regardless of race, color, national origin, income, or English language proficiency,”; and
WHEREAS: Communities of color and low-income neighborhoods, often in dense urban areas near former industrial sites, continue to be disproportionately affected by pollution of air, water, and soil, yet are often unable to meaningfully guide economic development policy in their own communities, according to The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs; and
WHEREAS: Among municipalities in Massachusetts, Somerville and other Mystic River Watershed communities represent several of the “most extensively overburdened communities” affected by ecological hazards, as defined by extensive scholarly research (Faber & Krieg 2005); and
WHEREAS: Addressing Environmental Justice presents significant governance challenges in that it requires close coordination between sectors such as housing, energy, transportation, public health, and open space; and
WHEREAS: The Environmental Justice Act (H.2913 / S.426, An Act Relative to Environmental Justice and Toxics Reduction in the Commonwealth) would greatly facilitate the coordination of state agencies related to the aforementioned sectors; NOW THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED: That the Somerville Board of Aldermen respectfully urges the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the Senate to pass the Environmental Justice Act (H.2913/S.426), which would facilitate the coordination of state agencies to plan for Environmental Justice planning and enforcement; AND BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED: That the Somerville Board of Aldermen specifically supports the inclusion of at least four individuals from Environmental Justice Populations to serve on the Environmental Justice Advisory Council; AND BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED: That the Somerville Board of Aldermen respectfully encourages a portion of the funds recommended by the Governor for an Environmental Justice Director be used for the hiring of a senior-level Director of Environmental Justice, directly reporting to the Secretary, and an Assistant Director of Environmental Justice or other such staff that the Secretary and Director of EJ find necessary to carry out their duties; AND BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED: That this resolution be shared with Somerville’s state legislative delegation; AND BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED: That the Somerville Board of Aldermen is committed to seeking equity and environmental justice in our economic development policy decisions, and to addressing the ongoing inequalities in access to clean air, water, and soil in Massachusetts along race, class, and national origin lines.