SENATE CLIMATE CHANGE LEGISLATION
Friend,
Our state is already feeling the effects of climate change, and in the years ahead, every city and town faces serious risks. We also know the enormous potential of the green and blue economies to transform our future, creating new opportunities while helping us meet our climate goals.
This is why making Rhode Island a cleaner, more sustainable place for everyone who calls it home has been at the forefront of the Senate’s work in recent years. And while we’ve achieved a great deal, there’s so much more to do.
One of the Senate’s most recent accomplishments addresses another essential component of this work: environmental justice.
Judiciary Chair Dawn Euer
Earlier this week, the Senate overwhelmingly approved Committee on Judiciary Chair Dawn Euer’s legislation to create environmental justice zones throughout the state. This important bill isn’t solely about our shared future. It’s about recognizing and correcting injustices that have affected many of our most vulnerable neighborhoods for decades.
Chair Euer’s legislation would require the Department of Environmental Management to designate, and periodically update, environmental justice focus areas based on factors such as local income levels and demographic data. Neighborhoods receiving the designation would enjoy enhanced safeguards against environmental and health risks, requiring an evaluation of the impact of new facilities or permits for polluting industries. DEM and the Coastal Resources Management Council would be empowered to stop projects that create unreasonable risks for residents of the zones.
Why is this so important? Because for too long, Rhode Island’s low-income and minority neighborhoods have endured the worst effects of our most polluting developments. These are some of the most historically marginalized communities in our state, without the kind of influence needed to push back against more powerful interests and industries. As a result, they have borne the weight of significant threats to their health and well-being, right in their own backyard, often for generations.
Chair Euer’s legislation is an important step toward putting a stop to that cycle. In her words: “No one deserves to have their neighborhood serve as a dumping ground for multiple pollution-producing facilities.” As we work to make Rhode Island cleaner and more resilient, we remain committed to building a more just future for all our residents, no matter their ZIP code or address.
Sincerely,
Donny and Ryan