CFAAC is presenting this program as a part of our Community Impact Speaker Series, focusing on the issues presented in CFAAC’s Community Needs Assessment, Poverty Amongst Plenty VII: Moving Forward Together, specifically the data related to the environment, groundwater, and air quality. This event is open to the public and free to registered participants.

Environmental and climate justice means that no group of people, including racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic groups, should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, land-use planning and zoning, municipal and commercial operations or the execution of federal, state, local and municipal programs and policies. Representatives from the Maryland League of Conservation Voters (MLCV) will give some history and context of the current issues that are facing Anne Arundel County, and the goals for rectifying overburdened communities.

Topics discussed will include: the need to clearly define the at-risk communities, examples of environmental (in)justice issues in Maryland and Anne Arundel County, addressing these issues in local and state governments, and current bills and legislation that are addressing the issues. The presentation will include a question and answer session with the panelists.

Panelists:

Rebecca Reher, Director of Climate Policy & Justice, MLCV Education 
Rebecca will provide an overview of the environmental justice movement's history, describe current environmental injustices in Anne Arundel County, and suggest ways to advance environmental justice.

Ramón Palencia-Calvo, Deputy Director and Chispa Maryland Program Director
Ramón will describe MLCV's approach to building and sustaining partnerships to advance environmental justice, how that is modeled in Chispa Maryland’s work with the Latino community in Langley Park, and opportunities to replicate this model in Anne Arundel County.

Special Guest - Tracey Garrett
Tracy is a community member directly experiencing environmental injustice in Anne Arundel County and has been invited to participate in the conversation. You can learn more about Tracey's involvement with reducing industrial and traffic pollution in Lothian at this link).