EPA Seeks Applicants For EJ Grants

EPA Seeks Applicants for $1.2 Million in Environmental Justice Grants to Address Local Health and Environmental Issues


The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is accepting grant applications for $1.2 million in funding to support projects designed to research, educate, empower and enable communities to understand and address local health and environmental issues. Eligible applicants from non-profit, faith-based and tribal organizations working in the community of the proposed project are encouraged to apply.

Environmental Justice Small Grants funding is available for two categories of projects:

1) 40 grants of up to $25,000 each to support projects that address a community’s local environmental issues through collaborative partnerships, and;

2) Four grants of up to $50,000 each to gather better science on the environmental and health impacts of exposure to multiple sources of pollution in communities.

Environmental justice means the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race or income, in the environmental decision-making process. Environmental justice issues often involve multiple sources of contamination, like pollution from several industrial facilities within one neighborhood, environmental hazards at the workplace or home, or contamination resulting from the consumption of fish or other subsistence food.

Environmental contamination can lead to costly health risks and can discourage investments and development in low-income, minority, and indigenous communities disproportionately impacted by pollution. Understanding the impacts of multiple environmental risks can help communities develop more effective solutions to their environmental and health concerns.

More information on eligibility and how to apply

More information on the Environmental Justice Small Grant Program

Hazel M. Johnson Dies: Mother of Environmental Justice

Chicago South Side environmental activist Hazel M. Johnson, 75, died of complications from congestive heart failure Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2011. Mrs. Johnson a longtime resident of Chicago's Altgeld Gardens public housing development, was spurred into environmental activism after her husband, John, died of lung cancer in 1969. She fought corporate polluters and rallied residents to protest contamination.

She founded a group called People for Community Recovery and put pressure on the Chicago Housing Authority to remove asbestos from Altgeld Gardens. Mrs. Johnson focused much of her organization's work on educating minority communities about urban environmental hazards. She became known as the mother of the environmental justice movement.

Mrs. Johnson was instrumental in convincing city health officials to test drinking water at Maryland Manor, a Far South Side neighborhood dependent on well water. After tests conducted in 1984 revealed cyanide and toxins in the water, officials installed water and sewer lines.

Her work in Chicago led to the national stage, where she joined a group of activists in urging President Bill Clinton to sign the Environmental Justice order. Ms. Johnson served on the U.S. EPA's first National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC), established on September 30, 1993.

Altgeld Gardens:Life in a Toxic Enviroment from Jennifer T. Lacey on Vimeo.

Mrs. Johnson was the eldest of four children born in the area of New Orleans now known as "cancer alley." Johnson would spend most of her adult life in the Calumet Region, the industrial area along Lake Michigan's southern tip that is one of the nation's most polluted areas. Mrs. Johnson was preceded in death by her son Michael. In addition to her daughter, Cheryl Johnson, Mrs. Johnson is survived by two other daughters, Yolanda Johnson and Valerie Johnson; sons John Jr., Johnny and Mark; 10 grandchildren; and five great grandchildren.

Services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, January 22, 2011 in St. Ailbe Catholic Church, 9015 S. Harper Ave., Chicago. (Chicago Tribune, 1/16/2011,

DOE & HBCUs Collaborate on Laborotory Projects

The White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities encourages collaboration between government agencies, educational associations, philanthropic organizations, the private sector and others to increase the capacity of HBCUs to provide high-quality education to a greater number of students.



The Department of Energy (DOE) has partnered with HBCUs on a variety of projects. Secretary of the Department of Energy Stephen Chu has met with Dr. William Harvey, Chairman of the President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities and President of Hampton University, as well as Langston University President JoAnn Haysbert and Morgan State University President David Wilson. They discussed how the Department can better engage HBCUs in science and laboratory projects, and what lessons can be learned from the many ongoing and successful partnerships we have in place.

Hampton University has a working relationship with the DOE's Thomas Jefferson National Laboratory. At Jefferson Lab, Hampton students have supported work conducted in the nuclear physics program. Now, Hampton is building on that partnership by working with Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Morgan State is a member of the Department’s Energy Innovation Hub team that is developing ways to make buildings more efficient. Specifically, the school is working on ways to adopt technology developed by the Hub so it can be used in urban centers like Baltimore.

Langston University has a partnership with the DOE, the Oklahoma Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association, and others to explore the market for and the benefits of developing and purchasing wind generated power. Particularly, Langston is focused on developing wind energy as an alternative energy source that can promote rural economic development -- supporting farmers and other HBCUs.

The Department has awarded more than $31 million to HBCUs since 2009, including $22 million for research and development programs. These research dollars support initiatives at institutions including Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College and Spelman College to build the capacity to develop clean energy technologies on campus and to conduct studies on energy usage. DOE has also provided internships, grants and scholarships to students at a number of Historically Black institutions.

More information about the Department’s work with HBCUs. (DOE Blog, 1/13/2011)

EPA Grant Solicitation on Children's Environmental Health

EPA’s Office of Children’s Health Protection has announced the release of a solicitation for grant proposals to address children's environmental health in underserved communities by building capacity for these communities to reduce environmental exposures in child-occupied settings (e.g. homes, schools and child care centers).

Funds available for award are expected to total approximately $1.5 million, and EPA intends to award approximately 15-20 awards, each for an amount not to exceed $100,000. The due date for initial proposals is February 18, 2011.

Assistance under this competition is available to:

States or state agencies, territories, city or township governments, county governments, the District of Columbia, federally recognized American Indian Tribes, possessions of the U.S,
public and private universities and colleges, hospitals, laboratories, other public or private nonprofit institutions, and 501(c)(3) organizations.

For complete information regarding this Request for Initial Proposals.

U.S. EPA Community Involvement Training Conference

Call for Proposals

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is soliciting presentation proposals for its 2011 Community Involvement Training Conference. The conference will be held in Crystal City, VA July 19-21, 2011. All presentation proposals are due by close of business Friday, February 18, 2011.

By participating as a presenter, you can help EPA achieve our goal to provide an exceptional conference that both informs and trains EPA staff as well as the agency’s local, state, federal, and tribal partners in best practices to enhance community involvement.

How to Submit a Presentation Proposal

If you are interested in submitting a proposal, please visit the conference web site.

Contacts

Questions about the conference can be directed to:

Laura Knudsen
EPA Conference Co-Chair
Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Phone: 703-603-8861 Email: knudsen.laura@epa.gov

Lee Harrigan
EPA Conference Co-Chair
Office of Water
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Phone: 202-566-1666 Email: harrigan.lee@epa.gov

Catherine Sims
Community Involvement Conference Coordinator
Environmental Management Support
8601 Georgia Avenue
Suite 500
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Phone: 301-589-5318 Fax: 301-589-8487 Email: ciconference@emsus.com

EPA EJ Community Outreach Call - Feb 3 at 3 p.m. ET

Administrator Lisa P. Jackson has made Expanding the Conversation on Environmentalism and Working for Environmental Justice one of EPA’s top priorities. The purpose of the Quarterly Environmental Justice Community Outreach 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.

EPA is taking suggestions on agenda topics for the upcoming call. After receiving your suggestions, they will select the topic(s) that are of general concern to communities. The call will last for an hour, so the number of topics discussed will be limited. Submit a topic.

On November 4, 2010, EPA held the last call where they discussed a variety of topics. For example, EPA provided EJ advocates with an update on Plan EJ 2014 and our Gulf Coast Outreach. EPA also provided information on topics that were raised, such as the Agency’s youth activities, air monitoring network and the White House Forum. Listen to the recordings. (EPA)

National Wildlife Federation’s Fair Climate National Summit

The National Wildlife Federation’s Fair Climate National Summit will bring together community leaders representing underserved communities from across the country to learn about the major priorities and challenges the nation faces in advancing clean air and clean energy to benefit all communities. Over a two-day gathering, leaders will learn about the known attacks that Congress plans to launch to roll back the Clean Air Act and EPA’s authority to regulate pollution, and how we can bridge movements and strengthen our advocacy skills to effectively advance a shared agenda.

The Summit will also provide a unique forum for leaders to meet, connect, and learn from each other as well as learn important skills such as lobbying, media outreach, capacity building, and social media in our round-robin workshops. Additional time is set aside on Day 2 for leaders to take their community concerns directly to lawmakers.

Register for the first annual Fair Climate Network National Summit to discuss and strategize on how our movement can most effectively protect the Clean Air Act.

Official Summit activities begin at 8:30AM on Monday, January 31st and end on Tuesday at 10:00AM, at which point attendees will depart for visits to their Congressmen.

Food and lodging will be provided for all attendees.

If you have any questions, please contact Katharine Pelzer or call at 202-797-6622.

EPA Awards $7 Million For Social Stressor Study

EPA Awards $7 Million to Study Effects of Pollution Exposures and Social Stressors on Communities

Research grants aim to gather comprehensive community wide data on human health impacts

As part of the Science to Achieve Results (STAR) research grants program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $7 million to fund cumulative human health risk assessment research. Scientists around the country will study a combination of harmful factors affecting human health, including research on poor and underserved communities with extensive pollution-based problems. This ground-breaking research will focus on environments where people are exposed to multiple stressors such as chemicals, anxiety, and poor nutrition. When these stressors are combined, they can lead to a much higher risk of health issues.

This research could pave the way for more interdisciplinary work that is responsive to community concerns and environmental justice.

EPA studies are generally confined to single chemical effects. These studies are useful and important but can be difficult to apply to the combinations of chemicals people are exposed to outside the lab. These types of studies rarely address social and societal factors that can play a major role. The STAR grants will research both societal and environmental factors including:

· Combined effects of metals and stress on central nervous system function
· Disparities in air pollutant risks
· Effects of stress and traffic pollutants on childhood asthma
· Cumulative risk assessments in urban populations and low-income communities near a Superfund site
· Strategies for assessing cumulative effects of chemical and nonchemical stressors

EPA’s STAR grant program supports human health, ecology, economics and engineering sciences through grants, centers, and fellowships. The program manages research grants that stimulate cutting-edge research on life stage susceptibility, and investigate exposure assessment methods and environmental health disparities. To date, research results from the STAR program have translated into developing local and state policy, and have been used as guidance for clinicians, community advocates, and parents in creating safer, healthier environments. (EPA)

More information on the grant awards

More information on cumulative risks

White House Forum On Environmentalist Justice

December 15, 2010

Mary Ann Liebert Publishers: Environmental Justice

Environmental Justice Volume: 3, Number: 4
December 2010

Environmental Justice, Participation, and the Law

Analyzing Public Participation in Risk Analysis: How the Wolves of Environmental Injustice Hide in the Sheep's Clothing of Science
Kristin Shrader-Frechette
Environmental Justice December 2010, Vol. 3, No. 4: 119-123.
Abstract Full Text PDF (101 KB) PDF Plus (102 KB)

Governance Structures and the Lack of Basic Amenities: Can Community Engagement Be Effectively Used to Address Environmental Injustice in Underserved Black Communities?
Sacoby M. Wilson, Christopher D. Heaney, and Omega Wilson
Environmental Justice December 2010, Vol. 3, No. 4: 125-133.
Abstract Full Text PDF (270 KB) PDF Plus (195 KB)

Public Participation and Communicative Interaction: The Structural Mechanisms of Institutional Bias
Neenah Estrella-Luna
Environmental Justice December 2010, Vol. 3, No. 4: 135-140.
Abstract Full Text PDF (106 KB) PDF Plus (107 KB)

Prolonged Injustice in Urban America
Jametta Magwood, Edith Marie Williams, and Saundra Hasben Glover
Environmental Justice December 2010, Vol. 3, No. 4: 141-145.
Abstract Full Text PDF (93 KB) PDF Plus (93 KB)

Environmental Justice and Grassroots Legal Action
Anna-Maria Marshall
Environmental Justice December 2010, Vol. 3, No. 4: 147-151.
Abstract Full Text PDF (91 KB) PDF Plus (91 KB)

Book Review: Poverty and Biodiversity Conservation
Lester C. Facey
Environmental Justice December 2010, Vol. 3, No. 4: 153.
Citation Full Text PDF (31 KB) PDF Plus (32 KB)

ELI to Host Enviro Justice Legal Priorities Forum

The Environmental Law Institute will how a forum on January 12, 2011, 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. to discuss the ways and extent to which EPA's environmental justice initiatives are likely to impact EPA regulatory and permitting activities, and the questions that these initiatives have raised from various stakeholders in the legal and policy community. EPA has made Expanding the Conversation on Environmentalism and Working for Environmental Justice a top priority.

Panelists will include:

Barry Hill, Visiting Scholar, Environmental Law Institute (moderator)

Sue Briggum of Waste Management (member of National Environmental Justice Advisory Council)

Lisa Garcia, EPA's Associate Assistant Administrator for Environmental Justice

Vernice Miller-Travis of the Maryland State Commission on Environmental Justice and Sustainable Communities (member of National Environmental Justice Advisory Council).

(ELI)

White House Environment Justice Forum

EPA's Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice will hold an Environmental Justice Forum on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. through 4:00 p.m. in the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

The forum will bring together environmental justice community leaders, state, local and tribal government officials, Cabinet members, and other senior Federal officials.

Lawyers Committee Complaint To DOT on High Speed Rail

The Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights filed a Title VI complaint on December 8 with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) against the California High Speed Rail Authority on behalf on APAC.

High-Speed Rail Project Hit By Civil Rights Complaint

News Feeds:

Los Angeles Times
High-speed rail project hit by civil rights complaint

Bay Area News Group:
Minority groups demand feds pull California high-speed rail funds

Associated Press in Washington Post (AP story went statewide and national)
Minority firms seeks rail delay

Bakersfield Californian
Complaint: Rail project excludes minority-owned businesses

New America Media
California High-Speed Rail Project Bypassing Minority Businesses?

Fresno Bee
Racial bias alleged in bids for Calif. rail project

The Bay Citizen
High-Speed Rail Project Faces Civil Rights Complaint

San Francisco Appeal (Bay City News)
Minority Businesses File Complaint, Say High Speed Rail Project Isn't Working With Local Contractors

Environmental Justice Community Conference Call

Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS)

December 9, 2010 @ 1:00pm-2:00pm EST

Purpose: To provide information about upcoming air program activities.

Background:In response to community requests to share information about EPA’s air programs, the Agency has begun to host bi-monthly conference calls to foster dialogue between EPA and interested community groups.

Agenda

Discuss grant and partnership opportunities for Gulf Spill communities and the role these communities should play during the August 2011 EJ Air Conference.

Discuss first steps for EPA’s Petroleum Refinery rules.

Identify points of contact for specific EPA projects and rules.

Identify methods to improve public participation in the permitting
process.

Discuss future Clean Air Act 101 webinar(s).

When: Thursday, December 9, 2010 Time: 1:00pm-2:00pm EST

Intended Audience: Environmental Justice and Tribal Communities or Organizations

Conference Line: 1-866-299-3188; code: 919-541-5624# (call limited to 125 participants on a first-come, first-served basis)

To register for the call

For more information about the conference call, contact Regina Chappell (919) 541-3650.

Conf Call on Nov 16-18 Kansas City NEJAC Meeting

EPA Environmental Justice Community Outreach Call

When: November 4, 2010, Time: 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. (EST)
Conference Line: (866) 453-9042, Conference ID: 21401789

EPA cordially invites you to participate on the next Environmental Justice Community Outreach Call. EPA will provide community stakeholders with an update on recent Agency environmental justice activities. EPA will also make sure that participants have time to raise matters that are important to your communities.

To propose an agenda topic before the call. EPA will select the topic(s) that are of general concern. Please keep in mind that the call will only last for an hour and the number of topics that can be discussed will be limited.

National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC) Public Meeting
November 16-18, 2010 Kansas City, Missouri

REGISTRATION ENDS MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2010

The next NEJAC face-to-face meeting will take place in Kansas City, Missouri, on November 16 through 18, 2010, at The Westin Crown Center Hotel. The meeting will include a Public Comment period.

Meeting Registration: Registration is required for everyone (including EPA and other federal employees). The registration deadline is 11:00 a.m. Central Time on Monday, November 1, 2010. Meeting materials will be prepared based on the number of participants registered on November 1. (On-site registration will be available; however, meeting materials will be distributed first to those who registered in advance. Any remaining materials will be distributed on a first-come first-served basis.)

There are four easy ways to register:

1) Online: Complete the online registration form at the NEJAC meetings page on EPA's Office of Environmental Justice Web Site
2) By E-mail with “Register for the November NEJAC Meeting” in the subject line. Please provide your name, job title, organization, mailing address, e-mail and telephone number for future follow-up as necessary.
3) By Fax: Print the Web page containing the registration form and fax to 877-773-0779.
4) By Phone: Leave a message at 877-773-0779. Please provide your name, job title, organization, mailing address, e-mail and telephone number for future follow-up as necessary.

Hotel Reservations. A limited number of rooms have been reserved at the prevailing government rate, under the group code “EPA-NEJAC.” If you are planning to stay at the Westin Crown Center Hotel for the meeting, you must contact the hotel directly to reserve your room. Either click here to reserve online The Westin Crown Center, Kansas City or call 800-937-8461. EPA encourages you to book your hotel room using the online Website, which will allow them to better track the information "real time." To be eligible for the negotiated room block rate, you must contact the hotel by November 1.

Public Comment Sign-Up: Members of the public who wish to speak during the Public Comment period should pre-register by 11:00 a.m. Central Time on Monday, November 1, 2010. Comments will be limited to five minutes to ensure that as many participants as possible wishing to provide a comment may do so. Only one representative of a community, organization or group will be allowed to speak. (On-site public comment sign-up will also be available; however, those who sign-up in advance will be called to speak first.)

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 or community; city and state; telephone number; e-mail address; a brief description of the concern; and what you want the NEJAC to advise EPA to do. Written comments received by 11:00 a.m. Central Time on Monday, November 1, 2010, will be included in the materials distributed to the members of the NEJAC. Written comments received after that time will be provided to the NEJAC as time allows. Send written comments and for more information, please contact EPA Support Contractor, APEX Direct Inc., at 877-773-0779.

EPA Region 7 EJ Workshop and NEJAC Meeting

The Environmental Protection Agency's Region 7 Environmental Justice (EJ) Program will host a series of free environmental justice workshops to provide training to stakeholders interested in environmental justice issues. The workshops target urban and rural communities, grassroots organizations, academic institutions, businesses, youth, elderly citizens, particularly low-income and minority populations. Courses during the workshops include two tracks of

(1) Collaborative Problem Solving with Success Stories, Tools, and Demonstrations and

(2) Grants and Resources Information.

These workshops will be held prior to the formal National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC) Public Meeting on November 16-18, 2010 at the Westin Crown Center Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri. The workshops and NEJAC Meeting are free and open to the public.

The Collaborative Problem Solving/Success Stories track will have the following sessions:

· How to Achieve Success by Leveraging Resources in Rural and Urban Communities (including creating more sustainable, "green" communities);

· How to Effectively Reach EJ Communities: What Really Matters to EJ Communities (such as health, air, water, and waste issues, and capacity building); and

· Addressing Health and the Food Desert in EJ Communities (including the benefits of community gardening and creating green jobs).

The Grants & Resources track will include the following sessions:

· How to Effectively Write Grants: "Come with a Project Idea and Leave with Written Proposal."

· Demonstrations of Different Data to Help Screen and Solve Problems in EJ Communities.

View the detailed agenda (PDF) (3 pp., 28K, About PDF).

For more information on the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council public meeting and to register visit

Event Details:

Date: November 15-16, 2010Location: The Westin Crown Center, 1 East Pershing Road. Kansas City, MO 64108Time: The meeting will convene promptly at 1:00 p.m. CST, Monday, November 15, 2010.

Advance registration is encouraged. Registration Deadline: November 1, 2010 11:00 a.m. CSTTo Register in advance: Online: Complete the form

For Questions contact: Fatima Ndiaye at 913-551-7383 or Toll-free at 1-800-223-0425
Lodging

To Book a Hotel Room Online

· Reserve a room at the Westin Crown Center Hotel using the ?EPA-NEJAC? room block

They encourage you to book your hotel room using the online Website, which will allow them to better track the information "real time." To be eligible for the negotiated room block rate, you must contact the hotel by November 1.

To Book a Hotel by Phone:

· Call Westin Crown Center reservations at 888-627-8538 and ask for the "EPA NEJAC" room block.

A block of rooms under "EPA-NEJAC" has been set aside at the government rate. You must make your reservation before November 1, 2010. After this date the government rate will not be guaranteed.

EPA Listening Session on Chesapeake Bay Stormwater

EPA to Hold Listening Sessions on Potential Chesapeake Bay Stormwater Rule

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold five listening sessions and one webcast to seek feedback from citizens on provisions in a proposed stormwater rule that will affect the Chesapeake Bay watershed. In December 2009, EPA initiated a national rulemaking to better protect waterbodies from the harmful effects of stormwater discharges from new development and redevelopment. EPA is now soliciting input specifically on potential provisions of the stormwater rulemaking with respect to the Chesapeake Bay watershed. As part of the listening sessions, EPA will also address environmental justice considerations.

The sessions will be held:

· October 26, 2010, Baltimore, Md., 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. for the listening session and 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. for the environmental justice discussion.

· October 28, 2010, Cambridge, Md., 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the listening session and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. for the environmental justice discussion.

· November 4, 2010, Washington, D.C., 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. for the environmental justice discussion and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. for the listening session.

· November 9, 2010, Richmond, Va., 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. for the listening session and 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. for the environmental justice discussion.

· November 16, 2010, 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. EST webcast listening session.

· November 17, 2010, Harrisburg, Pa., 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. for the listening session and 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. for the environmental justice discussion.

The public can find more information on the specific locations of the sessions and register by going to the website below. EPA will accept written comments on the potential rule until 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. To register or for more information on the listening sessions.

Dr. David Padgett Talks Environmental Justice

Dr. James Haney Presents: "Environmental Injustices World Wide," with Dr. David Padgett, Professor and Environmental Scientist @ Tennessee State University, who talks about the relationship between Environmental Justice in the United States and throughout the world. Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3

Barbara Lee & Lisa Jackson Take EJ Tour in Oakland

Click on Image to Enlarge
Congresswoman Barbara Lee and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson held a press conference today that was followed by a Town Hall, which was followed by an Environmental Justice Tour. The press conference was held at the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and the Environmental Justice Town Hall was held at the Federal Building immediately following the press conference.

Oakland is the 4th stop on the joint EPA-CBC Environmental Justice Tour, with leaders visiting several areas throughout the country to highlight environmental justice challenges faced by Americans in all communities. This tour and town hall are part of a nationwide Environmental Justice Tour series featuring Administrator Jackson and coordinated by the joint efforts of the EPA and the CBC. The EPA and the CBC have previously held similar Environmental Justice Tours and Town Halls in South Carolina, Missouri, Mississippi and Georgia as part of an effort by the Obama Administration to assess environmental issues in underserved communities.

The Oakland stop on the national EPA-CBC Environmental Justice Tour was designed to highlight local efforts to address environmental issues that have impacted underserved communities in the city and to illustrate the extensive collaboration between the EPA, local government agencies, community groups and everyday citizens to confront these issues. The Environmental Justice Tour will be conducted on a very quiet zero-emission, hydrogen fuel cell bus provided by AC Transit. AC Transit has received four to date of 12 next-generation fuel cell buses that were purchased with the support of $14 million in federal funding that Congresswoman Lee helped secure. (EPA, photos courtesy Mercury News)

Florida A&M College of Law EJ Symposium

Click On Image To Enlarge

Thursday, November 11, 2010

5:30 p.m.Welcome and Introduction of Special Guest Speaker
Kerene Tayloe, President, FAMU Environmental Law Society
5:35 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Remarks by Gwen Keys Fleming, Esq., EPA Region 4 Administrator

7:00 p.m. Dinner at Sheraton Hotel for speakers and special guests (Invitation Only)

Friday, November 12, 2010

8:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast
9:30 a.m. Welcome and Opening Remarks
Provost Cynthia Hughes Harris, Florida A&M University
Dean LeRoy Pernell, FAMU College of Law
Professor Randall S. Abate, FAMU College of Law
Julian Jackson-Fannin, FAMU Law Review
9:55 a.m.Introduction of Opening Keynote Speaker
Josephine Balzac, FAMU Law Review
10:00-10:55 a.m. Opening Keynote Presentation
Dr. Beverly Wright, Founder and Director, Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, New Orleans

11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.National and International Developments in Environmental Justice
Moderator: Professor Robert Abrams, FAMU College of Law
Panelists:
Prof. DeepaBadrinarayana, Chapman Law School
Lisa Garcia, Esq., EPA Headquarters, Washington, DC
Prof. Carmen Gonzalez, Seattle University School of Law

12:30 p.m.-12:55 p.m. Lunch and Networking
12:55 p.m. Introduction of Luncheon Keynote Speaker
Joseph Dillon, Vice President, FAMU Environmental Law Society
1:00 p.m.-1:55 p.m. Luncheon Keynote Presentation
Quentin Pair, Esq., U.S. Department of Justice

2:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Breakout Panels on Current Developments in Environmental Justice

Panel I: Toxic Dumping and Brownfields
Moderator: Dr. Marcia Owens, Florida A&M University
Panelists:
Michael Goldstein, Esq., Akerman Senterfitt, Miami, FL
Dr. Cynthia Harris, Florida A&M University
Kim Jones, Esq., EPA Region 4, Atlanta, GA
Raul Soto, EPA Headquarters, Washington, DC

Panel II: Impacts to Indigenous Peoples and Wildlife
Moderator: Professor Randall S. Abate, FAMU College of Law
Panelists:
Dr. J. Mijin Cha, Director of Campaign Research, Urban Agenda, New York, NY
Prof. Catherine O’Neill, Seattle University School of Law
Jacki Lopez, Esq., Center for Biological Diversity, San Francisco, CA

Panel III: EPA Debate on Environmental Justice
Sponsored by the EPA, teams of students representing two historically
black colleges or universities will debate hot topics in environmental
justice disputes.
3:30 p.m.-3:40 p.m.Break
3:40 p.m. Introduction of Closing Keynote Speaker
Sarah Mattern, FAMU Law Review
3:45 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Closing Keynote Presentation
Prof. Maxine Burkett, University of Hawaii School of Law
4:30 p.m.-5:30p.m. Reception

More Information