Council staff outline petition steps for naming environmental-justice communities; residents call for clearer outreach

At a meeting of the Environmental Justice Council, staff introduced a draft petition process meant to allow residents to request that a geographic area be designated as an environmental-justice community.

Caroline Lem, deputy director at the Office of Environmental Justice, said the presentation was an introductory review and not a final decision. Staff outlined five procedural steps: a petition must be submitted by at least 10 residents of the geographic area; the secretary has 45 days for an initial review; a public hearing must be held within an 8-kilometer radius of the area; the council compiles public comment and issues a recommendation; and the secretary issues a final decision within 60 days of the close of the public-comment period.

Residents used the public-comment period to press staff on outreach and scale. Marfield said residents have been waiting years for a clear process and that “no process [has been] in place since December,” asking the council to put the petition pathway on the agenda. Cathy Rodriguez said prior proceedings had left non‑English speakers and vulnerable residents marginalized and urged improved interpretation and translation. Christian Mellow asked staff to publish step-by-step petition materials in community languages and make filing instructions easily accessible.

Presenters reviewed the policy history, noting the original regulatory framework drew on decennial census mapping and that coalitions and the executive branch have repeatedly considered updates since 2019. Staff emphasized that the petition template and eligibility criteria incorporate demographic indicators identified during rule development, such as median household income below the state average, high proportions of residents who are people of color, and limited English proficiency.

Staff and coalition presenters also addressed technical questions about the geographic unit for petitions. Several commenters asked whether petitions should use census tracts, block groups or a more flexible unit; presenters said the petition pathway is intended to be workable at different scales and pledged to work with affected communities to select appropriate boundaries. Members asked about an apparent five‑mile consideration and whether that distance would preclude smaller neighborhoods from seeking designation; staff said geographic choice would be governed by the procedural criteria and community input rather than a fixed exclusionary rule.

The meeting record shows staff committed to posting petition guidance and materials and to translating key documents. The council did not take a final action on any petition tonight; instead staff requested further community input before returning to the council with revisions to the proposed process.

The council adjourned after the presentation; the next meeting was announced for June 11.