Apr 27, 2021
New Jersey’s EJ Law Signals Wave of Policy Changes That Will Impact Our Industry
New Jersey’s Landmark Environmental Justice Legislation, Biden Agenda Set the Stage for a Sea Change.
ERIS Originals
Podcasts
May 17, 2021
Episode 7- Spotlight on New Jersey’s Environmental Justice Law – What it Means for Our Industry
EJ has become a force of change in our industry with major implications for developers and investors. Our latest Podcast Episode explains the nuts and bolts of the new law, what industries it will impact, and its broader implications for businesses and projects nationwide.
Industry News
Jun 13, 2022
NJDEP Issues Proposed Regulations to Implement Environmental Justice Law
With the issuance of proposed regulations, businesses seeking to comply with New Jersey’s Environmental Justice Law just received more guidance from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (“NJDEP”).
Feb 18, 2022
EJScreen: Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool
EPA has developed a new environmental justice (EJ) mapping and screening tool called EJScreen.
Dec 02, 2021
Environmental Justice: EPA’s New Focus in Inspection and Enforcement
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has an online tool, EJSCREEN, that can identify EJ communities across the country by address.
Nov 29, 2021
Environmental Justice and the Era of “Woke” Permitting
There is no question the policy considerations underlying Environmental Justice (EJ) are valid. As a society, we need to recognize that some communities are more at risk than others and devise means to mitigate these risks or at least not consciously add to them if possible.
Oct 21, 2021
California proposes ban on new oil and gas drilling near schools, homes and hospitals
California’s oil and gas regulator on Thursday proposed that the state ban new oil drilling within 3,200 feet of schools, homes and hospitals to protect public health in what would be the nation’s largest buffer zone between oil wells and communities.
Oct 12, 2021
EPA’s Draft Strategic Plan Emphasizes Environmental Justice
On October 1, 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its new Draft Strategic Plan for 2022 through 2026 (Strategic Plan).
Sep 28, 2021
Existing Laws Offer Environmental Justice Tools, Official Says
The Justice Department has plenty of options under existing environmental laws to help local communities long suffering from air or water pollution even without an environmental justice statute, the head of a new federal environmental justice litigation team said Tuesday.
Sep 24, 2021
Environmental Justice Comes Early to New Jersey
New Jersey is no longer waiting to implement environmental justice requirements following surprise action by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
Sep 23, 2021
Environmental Impact Review and Environmental Justice: How Hard Will It Be To Merge the Two?
Environmental justice is clearly an idea whose time has – finally – come. The need to find the intersection between the search for racial justice and efforts to save the planet is undeniable.
Aug 19, 2021
Solar panels offer landfills second chance at a useful life
Owners of closed landfills have increasingly found ways to repurpose capped and closed sites, with one new option also tying into America’s quest to decrease its dependency on fossil fuels.
Aug 17, 2021
How legal and cultural barriers keep Indigenous people from protecting sacred spaces off tribal land
When it comes to protecting sacred spaces of tribal land, tribes are challenged by outdated laws and a misunderstanding of their religious practices.
Jul 30, 2021
Mapping the Movement: The Future of Identifying and Addressing Cumulative Impacts
Charles Lee, long-standing activist, advisor, and policymaker, is in a unique position to assess developments within the environmental justice (EJ) movement by virtue of his nearly 40-year career dedicated to advancing EJ.
Jul 30, 2021
Mapping the Movement: The Future of Identifying and Addressing Cumulative Impacts
Charles Lee, long-standing activist, advisor, and policymaker, is in a unique position to assess developments within the environmental justice movement by virtue of his nearly 40-year career dedicated to advancing EJ.
Jul 21, 2021
White House unveils strategy for bringing environmental justice to underprivileged communities
Two big themes of the first six months of the Joe Biden administration have been racial equity — the focus of one of the first executive orders the president signed — and environmental infrastructure...
Jul 15, 2021
Will Increased Enforcement Speed Cleanup of Superfund Sites in EJ Communities?
Earlier this month, EPA circulated a memorandum on “Strengthening Environmental Justice Through Cleanup Enforcement Actions.”
Jul 07, 2021
Environmental Justice Coming into Focus Under Biden’s USEPA
In its June 25, 2021 Press Release, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“USEPA”) presented its plan for utilizing $50 million dollars, allocated to the agency under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021/Covid-19 stimulus package, to EJ initiatives.
Jul 02, 2021
Environmental Justice: A Focus in Criminal EnforcementPrint Print this Article
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (“USEPA”) Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (“OECA”) released July 1, 2021 guidance establishing a process on which it will rely upon to advance its’ Environment Justice (“EJ”) goals.
Jun 28, 2021
EPA Announces Plans to Strengthen Environmental Justice Through Criminal Enforcement
The acting head of the EPA’s enforcement office issued a memorandum on June 21, 2021, that outlines actions to advance the EPA’s environmental justice goals in criminal enforcement matters.
Jun 14, 2021
Supplemental Environmental Projects –A Long History and an Uncertain Future
Supplemental environmental projects or “SEPs” are “environmental” projects that a defendant agrees to undertake as part of a negotiated settlement of a federal enforcement action. SEPs have been used as a discretionary vehicle for the government to reduce/affect/mitigate a civil monetary penalty...
Jun 10, 2021
Talking with others in our industry to find out their environmental priorities are usually much more telling than media headlines. One of the casualties during this time of pandemic isolation is face-to-face time at meetings and conferences.