State environmental office outlines petition process to designate environmental‑justice communities

Caroline Lin, vice‑secretary for external environmental justice affairs, presented the first public version of a petition process that would let neighborhoods seek official designation as a "population of environmental justice." She framed the presentation as introductory and said the office would solicit feedback before the council formally reviews regulations. "The presentation of today will focus on the introduction…of the petitioning process our department is developing," Lin said.

The presentation traced the term's history: advocacy groups and state policy originally used census‑block measures based on the 2000 census; later efforts in 2019 and 2021 broadened criteria to include race, limited English proficiency and income. Jean B. Benson, a retired attorney, summarized the 2002 baseline and the use of census data to map EJ communities. Commissioner Stacy Ruben described subsequent policy adjustments and cited Executive Order No. 552 as a milestone that prompted reexamination of criteria.

Under the proposed process, staff described five core steps: submission of a petition; an initial secretary review (the transcript records a 45‑day review window) to determine whether the petition meets screening criteria; a public hearing held within the petition geography; secretary consideration of public comments and Council recommendations; and a final decision published within 60 days of the hearing. Staff also told the council that a failed petition may be resubmitted after one year to allow updates to demographic or local evidence.

Council members asked technical and equity questions about how "neighborhood" would be defined (census block groups vs. custom boundaries), whether a proposed five‑mile radius was appropriate in all geographies, and how to include lived experience and data beyond the census. Dr. Luna noted census block groups vary widely in population and geography; staff said they are open to alternative unit choices and to including qualitative evidence where the census underrepresents a community.

Public commenters told the council the process matters now. A Westfield resident who identified as Marian asked whether communities that had previously filed petitions—some predating COVID—would need to resubmit; staff said the process was not finalized but they would try to avoid requiring duplicate petitions. Another resident, Katy Rodriguez, said local hearings and permitting in her town left non‑English speakers and elderly residents excluded and warned that a recent zoning board decision had created a "sacrifice zone" in her neighborhood. "They ignored us," Rodriguez said, urging a review of local procedures.

Lin and staff emphasized this meeting was an early step. The office will revise the draft based on public comment and Council input and plans future sessions to refine definitions, evidence standards and boundaries. The council was told it will get another opportunity to review regulatory language before any final rulemaking. The next scheduled council meeting noted in the transcript is June 11 in "Ehhurst."