Advancing Environmental Justice & Public Health
Environmental damage and the climate crisis have an outsized impact on people of color and marginalized communities. Massachusetts’ legislation and implementation must ensure that the transition to clean energy is prioritized in communities with poor environmental quality, that have been overburdened by energy infrastructure, and that have been excluded from the decision-making and economic opportunities that the growing clean energy economy offers.
ELM advocates for outcomes that improve air quality monitoring and mitigation, drive equitable access to decarbonization benefits, expand energy efficiency rebates and incentives to underserved populations, and provide affordable and electrified transportation in EJ communities. Learn more about our legislative priorities for environmental justice and public health.
RELATED DECISIONS:
March 29, 2024 – As required by the 2021 Roadmap to Net Zero law, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection must now consider the cumulative pollution burdens faced by communities when reviewing and approving air quality permits.
MassDEP first proposed draft regulations in December 2022 and finalized them in March 2024. These new rules work alongside updated environmental justice guidance from the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) Office, strengthening oversight of major projects and their impacts on overburdened communities.
ELM supports this important step toward more equitable environmental decision-making and urges continued implementation that protects public health and ensures no community bears an unfair share of pollution.
