Hi there,

I wanted to share some great news for environmental justice here in Pennsylvania. Governor Wolf issued an executive order formalizing an office and board dedicated to ensuring that the voices of Black and Brown Pennsylvanians are included on decisions made by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

Although both entities have been in place for several years, without this action, they could have been eliminated at any time. By issuing this executive order and making these entities permanent, Governor Wolf is acknowledging Pennsylvania’s history of systemic environmental racism and the essential role that equity plays in ensuring every Pennsylvanian’s constitutional right to a clean and healthy environment.

We applaud these critical steps to empower and engage with communities that are disproportionately impacted by pollution and climate change. Will you join us in sending the Governor a quick note of thanks for prioritizing environmental justice?

When we look at the impacts of pollution and climate change, communities of color and low-income neighborhoods face the brunt of air and water pollution. Decades of structural racist systems like redlining and lack of investment pushed power plants, garbage incinerators, and other polluting facilities into communities of color and low-income communities instead of more privileged communities.

All too often, these communities were not adequately engaged — or consulted at all — before new sources of pollution were put in place. The permanent codification of the Office of Environmental Justice and Environmental Justice Advisory Board is designed to both increase awareness of the environmental impacts of such projects and make it easier for people who will be most impacted to have a say.

Overburdened communities must be included in conversations and decisions to protect our environment and the health and welfare of all families in Pennsylvania, and we’re glad that the Commonwealth is taking critical steps to make that a reality.

Thank Governor Wolf for issuing an executive order that recognizes the important role that justice plays in the DEP and ensures that this office's important work remains a permanent fixture in the department >>

Thanks for all that you do.

Michelle Giles

Policy Analyst

Conservation Voters of PA