She said that everyone will have access the same data to address issues that affect communities.
This is not an easy question to answer. Not only are we attempting to find the right solution at the state level but also the federal government trying to address environmental injustices.
The national average is theEPA has released a new version of its own environmental screening tool in February, but activists criticized it for excluding race.
Donele Wilkins, the CEO of Detroit’s Green Door Initiative, which fights for environmental justice and justice in southeast Michigan, stated that EPAs tool is a great effort, but fails to identify (fenceline), communities.
Fenceline communities are close to industry and directly affected by pollution.
Wilkins said that communities that were the site of legacy pollutions such as Detroit will not be considered a community in need of assistance. However, Wilkins added that this could have an impact on how communities are prioritized and funded to address environmental injustices.
Such demographical oversights prompted several states to create their own screening tools. Molly Blondell, a Master’s student at the University of Michigan studied several of these apps.
InThe studyBlondell interviewed government officials, industry leaders, and activists in California and Washington, New Jersey. She said that screening tools offer many benefits, including the ability for people to share information, assist in community-based actions, and influence regulatory or policies-based decisions.
Blondell said that these tools will lead to a more thoughtful process, which will consider public health more than anything else. However, the creation of a tool does not necessarily mean that environmental justice is being implemented.
These tools can lead towards policies, but we need to really listen to frontline community members, activists, and others when determining how communities will be given reparations for the ongoing environmental burdens they face.
The first step?
Nick Leonard, director, Great Lakes Environmental Law Center, co-filed civil rights complaints on behalf Flint residents.
The state believes that the tool will aid current efforts to identify pollution-prone communities and increase public participation in permitting or enforcement processes.
Leonard wants the state’s decision-making process to include the use of the tool, such as the issuance and maintenance of air permits, to be ingrained in Leonard’s mind.
Leonard said that information is only as good or as effective as the results it leads to. We want to know how this information will benefit communities of color and promote environmental justice.
Some activists believe Michigan’s screening process is moving the state towards environmental justice. Frank Ettawageshik is the president of the Association on American Indian Affairs. He said he is cautiously optimistic.