Jul 22, 2026BoardMeeting
BoardDepartment of Environmental Quality Public Meeting
The Department of Environmental Quality held a town hall to discuss the development of Environmental Justice in the permitting process. Key discussion topics included the implementation of House Bill 1266, which requires updating the Environmental Justice in the Permitting Process guidance memo. The department presented concepts under consideration for the new guidance, including defining projects of concern, assessing cumulative impacts in alignment with New Jersey's model, strategies for community outreach, and the use of the Virginia EJScreen plus mapping tool to identify environmental justice communities. The meeting provided a forum for public input and suggestions regarding these proposed criteria.