Title VI Advisory Committee to Meet July 27-28

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@igc.apc.org>]

TITLE VI ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO MEET

Perhaps the hottest emerging issue around Brownfields policy is the
application of Civil Rights law to environmental permitting. Earlier
this year US EPA released "Interim Guidance for Investigating Title VI
Administrative Complaints Challenging Permits." The guidance is designed
to provide a framework for processing complaints, filed under Title VI
of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, alleging discriminatory effects
resulting from the issuance of pollution controls permits by state and
local governmental agencies that receive EPA funding. The Interim
Guidance is available on the Web at
<http://es.epa.gov/oeca/oej/titlevi.html>.

As I understand it, the Guidance provides a mechanism for implementing
court rulings that projects can be blocked by groups that charge that
the activities would contribute to the further disproportionate impact
of environmental pollution upon peoples of color.

Many state and local government officials, as well as development
interests, are opposing the guidance, while environmental justice and
other community/environmental groups tend to support it. I plan to write
more about the issue as I learn more, but I would invite people on both
sides of the debate to post messages explaining their perspectives.

EPA has established an advisory committee to explore the diversity of
views on the Guidance. I have included below an announcement of its
upcoming (July 27-28, 1998) meeting in Philadelphia.

Lenny Siegel


The Office of Civil Announces the Second Meeting of the National
Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology, Title VI
Implementation Advisory Committee meeting of the NACEPT Title VI
Implementation Advisory Committee will be held Monday, July 27 through
Tuesday, July 28, 1998 at the Penn Tower Hotel, Civic Center Boulevard
at 34th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. On July 27, the Committee
will convene at 1:30 p.m. and adjourn for the day at 8:30 p.m. On July
28, the Committee will convene at 8:30 a.m. and adjourn at 6:30 p.m. The
public is invited to attend both days of the meeting, but seating will
be limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Formal
registration is not required.

Committee members will hear public comments on July 27 from 6:30 p.m. to
8:30 p.m. The Committee is particularly interested in receiving comments
on techniques that may be used by EPA funding recipients to operate
environmental permitting programs that are in compliance with Title VI
of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VI prohibits recipients of
federal financial assistance from discriminating on the basis of race,
color, or national origin in their programs or activities.

If you wish to participate in the public comment session, please contact
Jannell Young at 202--260-1888 by July 21, 1998 to reserve time. To
allow as many communities as possible the opportunity to provide
comment, we request that only one representative per organization speak.
Presentations by individuals or groups will be limited to a total of
five minutes. If you do not schedule speaking time in advance, you may
still participate in the comment session as time allows. Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits recipients of federal financial
assistance from discriminating on the basis of race, color, or national
origin in their programs or activities. The purpose of the Title VI
Implementation Advisory Committee is to help advise the Administrator
and Deputy Administrator of EPA on techniques that may be used by EPA
funding recipients to operate environmental permitting programs that are
in compliance with Title VI.

The Committee consists of 23 independent representatives drawn from
among state and local governments, industry, the academic community,
tribal and indigenous interests, and grassroots environmental and other
non-governmental organizations. If you have questions about the meeting
schedule or dates for future meetings, you may contact Gregory Kenyon at
202-260-8169.

-- 

Lenny Siegel
Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
c/o PSC, 222B View St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/968-1126
lsiegel@igc.apc.org