A new CalEPA report details how the agency has hired environmental justice (EJ) liaisons to elevate the representation of community advocacy groups in the decision-making process for regulations.
“California has developed some of the most advanced and ambitious environmental regulations in the country, including regulatory requirements to address environmental injustice,” writes CalEPA Secretary Jared Blumenfeld (above) in the report.
In listing accomplishments, Blumenfeld added that the Newsom administration has begun “to transition away from some of the state’s more harmful pesticide products, and toward less harmful alternatives.”
The Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) has been working with county agricultural commissioners to address EJ issues as well. “Children’s bodies are more susceptible and sensitive to the impacts of pesticide exposure,” the report notes. It explains how DPR has added new restrictions around schools and is planning to add regulations regarding notifications when applying pesticides.
“CalEPA looks forward to supporting even more high-level representation of EJ interests in the years to come,” the report reads.
