EPA and National Park Service to Host Community Dialogue about Environmental Justice at Clark Atlanta University (GA)
(Atlanta, Ga. – Aug. 12, 2011) –
On Wednesday, Aug. 17, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) Region 4, in conjunction with the U.S. National Park Service
(NPS), will host a meeting at Clark Atlanta University for students
and community members to discuss environmental justice (EJ)
concerns with representatives of numerous federal agencies. The
meeting follows-up on the commitment the federal government made
last year when EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson reconvened the EJ
Interagency Working Group for the first time in more than a decade
to combat pollution in overburdened communities.
The meeting will provide an opportunity for
students, academia, grassroots community organizations,
business/industry representatives and other interested parties to
discuss best practices and model programs for the federal
government to meet its responsibilities and work effectively with
communities facing environmental and health hazards. The meeting
will have a youth focus and will be conducted in a “World
Café” style, where small group conversations are
designed to actively engage participants, foster collaborative
dialogue and create constructive possibilities for
action.
WHO: Representatives from EPA, NPS, and the
U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Housing
and Urban Development, Energy, Transportation and
Labor
WHAT: Federal Interagency Working Group on
Environmental Justice Stakeholder Meeting; Student and Community
Dialogue
WHEN: Wednesday, August 17, 2011, 3 –
6:30 p.m. (doors open at 2:30 p.m.)
WHERE: Clark-Atlanta University, Thomas W.
Cole Research & Science Bldg
Atlanta, GA
The role of the EJ Interagency Working Group is to guide, support and enhance federal EJ and community-based activities. By coordinating the expertise and resources of federal government agencies, the working group will identify projects where federal collaboration can support the development of healthy and sustainable communities. The working group will also seek opportunities to provide green job training and promote a clean energy economy. EPA serves as the lead for EJ issues in the federal government.
More information on the EJ Interagency Working Group: http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/interagency/index.html
