CENTERING COMMUNITY VOICES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IN VERMONT

Since 2017, we’ve been addressing the need for environmental justice (EJ) policies in Vermont, working with state agencies and community groups to identify issues and solutions to protect the people who are most vulnerable to environmental threats—all too often Black and Indigenous people, people of color and people from poor communities.

Creating a strong EJ policy is as much about the process as it is about the product. A key principle of environmental justice is ensuring meaningful participation of the communities most impacted by the problem.

That’s why we’re working to bring in the Vermonters most impacted by environmental threats to help shape an EJ policy that is community-informed. At Community Action Works, we work with community leaders who are most impacted by pollution, including people in rural and remote parts of Vermont, and we’re making sure they are part of this process.

We’re proud to be part of the REJOICE (Rural Environmental Justice Opportunities Informed by Community Expertise) Project working to craft environmental justice policies throughout Vermont.