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Chair's Corner

Nicholas Targ

Welcome to the Fall edition of the Environmental Justice Committee's Newsletter. This edition highlights the work of states and includes a link to our new report "Environmental Justice for All: A 50-State Survey of Legislation, Policy, and Initiatives." Developed through a collaborative effort with the Public Law Research Institute of Hastings College of the Law, this report documents the legal and policy approaches that the states have taken to give force of law and/or tangible policy meaning to the goal of "environmental justice."

The newsletter also announces the topic for the 2004 environmental justice essay competition: "Protecting Tribal Sacred Site on Federal Lands after Bear Lodge Multiple Use Association v. Babbitt."  We are delighted to present the competition with our sister Committee, the Committee on Native American Concerns, and to have the co-sponsorship of the ABA's Section of Environment, Energy and Resources. 

Last year, the first annual competition was won by Kyle La Londe (First Place-- GWU '03); Irene Choi (Second Place-- NYU '04); and Jocelyn A. Stotts (Third Place-- GWU '04). Special thanks are due to our judges: Sue Briggum, Director of Environmental Affairs, Waste Management, Inc.; Meredith Flax, Esq., Beveridge & Diamond; Michael Gerrard, Director, Arnold & Porter; and Barry Hill, Director, Office of Environmental Justice, USEPA. We also are grateful to Benjamin Wilson and Steven Herman, and their firm, Beveridge & Diamond, P.C., for their generous contributions, which helped make the competition possible.

In this newsletter you will also find articles by:  

  • Ann Goode of the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) examines the factors that are critical to the success of an effective state environmental justice program. As a contributing author to the NAPA study, "Promising Efforts and Needed Improvements in Addressing Environmental Justice at the State Level," and former Director of USEPA's Office of Civil Rights, Ms. Goode brings years of thought and experience to her insightful article.
  • Cliff Rechtschaffen, Professor of Law and Co-Director, Environmental Law and Justice Clinic, at Golden Gate University School of Law, considers the potential use of legal actions under state civil rights statutes as a means of addressing environmental justice concerns, using California's law as an example.                                        .                                                     .                                                                              
  • Selket Cottle, a third-year law student, reviews six state Supplemental Environmental Project ("SEP") statutes or policies that address issues of environmental justice, either expressly or by encouraging the use of SEPs in minority or low-income communities.

We hope that you will find this edition of interest. If you have comments or would like to submit an article for a future issue, please contact me at nicholastarg@starpower.net.

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