NEJAC January Teleconference Meeting

National Environmental Justice Advisory Council Public Teleconference Meeting Wednesday, January 23, 2013

The National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC) will host a public teleconference meeting on Wednesday, January 23, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. Eastern Time. The primary topic of discussion will be promoting community resiliency in overburdened industrial waterfront areas.

There will be a public comment period from 3:15 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. Eastern Time. Members of the public are encouraged to provide comments relevant to the topics of the meeting.
To Register

• Register Online
• By Email: Send an email to with "Register for the NEJAC January 2013 Teleconference" in the subject line.
• By Phone: Leave a voice message at 877-773-0779.

When registering, please provide your name, organization, city and state, email address, and telephone number for follow up. Please also state whether you would like to be put on the list to provide public comment, and whether you are submitting written comments before the Friday, January 11, 2013, deadline. Non-English speaking attendees wishing to arrange for a foreign language interpreter may also make appropriate arrangements using the email address or telephone number.

Members of the public who wish to attend or to provide public comment must pre-register by 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, January 11, 2013. Individuals or groups making remarks during the public comment period will be limited to five minutes. To accommodate the large number of people who want to address the NEJAC, only one representative of a community, organization, or group will be allowed to speak. Written comments can also be submitted for the record. The suggested format for individuals providing public comments is as follows: name of speaker; name of organization/community; city and state; and email address; brief description of the concern, and what you want the NEJAC to advise EPA to do.

Written comments received by 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, January 11, 2013, will be included in the materials distributed to the NEJAC prior to the teleconference. Written comments received after that time will be provided to the NEJAC as time allows. All written comments should be sent to EPA’s support contractor, APEX Direct, Inc., via email.

Information about Services for Individuals with Disabilities: For information about access or services for individuals with disabilities, please contact Ms. Estela Rosas, APEX Direct, Inc., at 877-773-0779 or via email.

EPA Seeks Nominations for Annual Environmental Quality Awards

Each year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency honors businesses, individuals, governments and organizations that have contributed significantly to improving the environment and protecting public health in New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and eight federally recognized Indian Nations over the past year.

EPA is now seeking nominations for this annual award. Winners will be honored at an awards event in April 2013. Each winner will receive a plaque recognizing her or his environmental achievement at a ceremony during Earth Week. The Agency is accepting nominations for its Environmental Quality Awards until February 19, 2013.

EPA wants to recognize businesses, individuals, organizations and government agencies that often blaze the trail on a range of environmental protection and public health issues. Everyone is encouraged to submit nominations that illustrate outstanding environmental accomplishments. The awards recognize achievement in six categories:

•   Business and Industry
•    Individual Citizen
•    Non-Profit Organization, Environmental or Community Group
•    Environmental Education
•    Federal, State, Local or Tribal Government or Agency
•    Print and Broadcast Media

For award criteria, prior winners and nomination instructions, visit EPA's Environmental Quality Award webpage.

For additional information, please contact Elizabeth Myer, Public Affairs Division, at (212) 637-3860.

EPA January Community Call Jan 17

EPA Environmental Justice Quarterly Community Outreach Call - January 17, 2013. Additional details will follow in January.

Administrator Lisa P. Jackson has made Expanding the Conversation on Environmentalism and Working for Environmental Justice one of EPA’s top priorities. In support of this priority, we invite environmental justice advocates to participate on our next Environmental Justice Community Outreach Call, which will take place on January 17, 2012.

The purpose of these calls is to provide information to participants about the Agency’s EJ activities and maintain an open dialogue with EJ advocates. As EPA continues to advance Plan EJ 2014, the Agency hopes that these calls will better inform the public about EPA’s EJ work and enhance opportunities to take advantage of federal activities.

Listen to, or read about, previous calls.

We are taking suggestions on agenda topics for the upcoming call. After receiving your suggestions, we will select the topic(s) that are of general concern to communities. Please keep in mind that the call will only last one hour, so the number of topics discussed will be limited. Submit a topic.

For more information about the Administrator’s priorities

For more information about Plan EJ 2014

EPA Announces 2012 EJ Small Grants

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a total of $1.2 million in competitive grants awarded to 50 non-profit and tribal organizations working to address environmental justice issues nationwide. The grants enable non-profit organizations to conduct research, provide education, and develop solutions to local health and environmental issues in low-income communities overburdened by harmful pollution.

The 2012 grants support activities that address a range of community concerns including restoring and protecting waterways, reducing exposure to air pollutants from diesel exhaust and seeking healthier alternatives to household pesticides.

Environmental justice is defined as the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race or income, in the environmental decision-making process. Since 1994, EPA’s environmental justice small grants program has supported projects to address environmental justice issues in more than 1,300 communities. The grants represent EPA’s continued commitment to expand the conversation on environmentalism and advance environmental justice in communities across the nation.

2012 EJ Small Grant recipients and project descriptions

More information about EPA’s Environmental Justice Small Grants program

Request for Proposals (RFP) for the FY 2013 Environmental Justice Small Grants and schedule of pre-application teleconference calls.