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a. By no later than three months after the effective date of this section, the mayor shall establish an interagency working group consisting of the heads of the following city agencies, or their designees:
1. The department of environmental protection;
2. The department of parks and recreation;
3. The department of transportation;
4. The department of health and mental hygiene;
5. The department of city planning;
6. The department of buildings;
7. The department of housing preservation and development;
8. The department of sanitation;
9. The office of long-term planning and sustainability;
10. The New York city commission on human rights; and
11. Such other offices within the office of the mayor and such other city agencies as shall be designated by the mayor, including, when appropriate, such offices or agencies with subject matter expertise in environmental policy and/or data analysis.
b. The mayor shall appoint or designate a special coordinator for environmental justice, who may, in the discretion of the mayor, be within the office of the mayor or within any agency, the head of which is appointed by the mayor, and who shall be the chair of the interagency working group.
c. Staff assistance for the interagency working group shall be provided by the member agencies and offices within the office of the mayor.
d. The interagency working group shall:
1. Provide guidance to agencies on criteria for identifying and interpreting:
(a) Human health data and analyses relevant to city agency programs, activities and policies;
(b) Available data relating to environmental factors within the city, including but not limited to (i) air and water quality and concentrations of violations of city environmental regulations that may reflect environmental justice concerns and (ii) existing studies on environmental justice;
(c) Existing city facilities and infrastructure, and to the extent known existing non-city facilities and infrastructure, located in environmental justice areas that may raise environmental justice concerns;
(d) Opportunities for promoting environmental justice;
2. Coordinate with, provide guidance to, and serve as a clearinghouse for, city agencies as they implement the environmental justice plan, in order to promote consistent and transparent administration, interpretation and enforcement of programs, activities and policies;
3. Assist in coordinating research by, and stimulating cooperation among, agencies conducting data collection, research or other activities in accordance with section 3-1005;
4. Develop interagency model projects that address environmental justice concerns and that evidence cooperation among agencies;
5. Receive and respond to inquiries, including data requests, and recommendations from the advisory board;
6. Develop an environmental justice plan pursuant to section 3-1003; and
7. Conduct a study of environmental justice areas pursuant to section 3-1007.
(L.L. 2017/064, 4/25/2017, eff. 4/25/2017; Am. L.L. 2017/060, 4/25/2017, eff. 4/25/2017)
Editor's note: For related unconsolidated provisions, see Appendix A at L.L. 2017/060 and L.L. 2017/064.
a. The interagency working group shall develop an environmental justice plan that provides guidance for incorporating environmental justice concerns into city decision-making, identifies possible citywide initiatives for promoting environmental justice and provides specific recommendations for city agencies represented on the interagency working group. Matters treated by such plan shall include, at a minimum:
1. City-wide initiatives:
(a) Methods for promoting environmental justice;
(b) Methods of encouraging greater public engagement with and participation in decision-making that raises environmental justice concerns;
(c) Methods of promoting transparency and consistency in the city's approach to environmental justice;
(d) City-wide and/or inter-agency projects that address environmental justice concerns;
(e) Methods for promoting equitable distribution of and access to environmental benefits;
(f) Methods for improving research and data collection relating to human health and the environment; and
(g) Recommendations for legislation, policy, budget initiatives and other measures the city can take, either acting alone or in collaboration with other organizations or governmental entities, to (i) mitigate or, to the extent possible, eliminate the disproportionate effects identified in the study required by section 3-1007 and (ii) increase utilization of renewable energy sources and energy efficiency measures in environmental justice areas.
2. Agency-specific recommendations:
(a) Changes to an agency's programs, policies, activities or processes that will promote environmental justice, including but not limited to:
(1) Consideration of capital projects that address environmental justice concerns in or provide environmental improvements to environmental justice areas;
(2) Agency enforcement actions that can be strengthened or expanded to address environmental justice concerns;
(3) Agency-specific methods of promoting greater public participation and transparency in agency decision-making that raises environmental justice concerns, including the siting of agency facilities; and
(b) A description of any amendments to laws or rules that would facilitate implementation of any of the recommendations made pursuant to subparagraph (a) of this paragraph.
b. 1. By December 31, 2019, the interagency working group shall (i) provide the advisory board with a draft environmental justice plan, (ii) provide a copy of such plan to the mayor and the speaker of the council and (iii) provide a copy of such plan to each city agency covered by such plan. Upon receiving a copy of such plan, each agency covered by such plan shall publish a copy thereof on its website.
2. By June 30, 2020, the advisory board shall:
(a) Review such plan;
(b) Hold public hearings on such plan in accordance with section 3-1006; and
(c) Provide the interagency working group with recommendations and comments relating to such plan and convey public comments received at public hearings conducted by such board on such plan.
3. By December 31, 2021, the interagency working group shall (i) finalize the environmental justice plan, which shall include responses to all recommendations submitted to the interagency working group by the advisory board, (ii) provide a copy of such plan to the advisory board, (iii) provide a copy of such plan to the mayor and the speaker of the council and (iv) provide a copy of such plan to each agency covered by such plan. Upon receiving a copy of such plan, each agency covered by such plan shall publish a copy thereof on its website.
4. By June 30 in 2022, and by June 30 in every year thereafter, the interagency working group shall report to the advisory board, the mayor and the speaker of the council on progress in implementing the environmental justice plan.
c. 1. By December 31, 2024, and by December 31 in every fifth year thereafter, the interagency working group shall (i) provide the advisory board with draft revisions to the most recent environmental justice plan, (ii) provide a copy of such revisions to the mayor and the speaker of the council and (iii) provide a copy of such revisions to each agency covered by such plan. Upon receiving a copy of such revisions, each agency covered by such plan shall publish a copy thereof on its website.
2. By June 30, 2025, and by June 30 in every fifth year thereafter, the advisory board shall:
(a) Review such revisions;
(b) Hold public hearings on such revisions in accordance with section 3-1006; and
(c) Provide the interagency working group with recommendations and comments relating to such revisions and convey public comments received at public hearings conducted by such board on such revisions.
3. By December 31, 2025, and by December 31 in every fifth year thereafter, the interagency working group shall (i) finalize the revisions to the environmental justice plan, which shall include responses to all recommendations submitted to the interagency working group by the advisory board, (ii) provide a copy of such revised plan to the advisory board, (iii) provide a copy of such revised plan to the mayor and the speaker of the council and (iv) provide a copy of such revised plan to each agency covered by such plan. Upon receiving a copy of such revised plan, each agency covered by such revised plan shall publish a copy thereof on its website.
4. The interagency working group may revise the environmental justice plan more frequently than set forth in this subdivision, provided that (i) at least 60 days before finalizing such revision, such working group provides a copy of the proposed revision to the advisory board, (ii) the finalized revision includes responses to all recommendations submitted to the interagency working group by the advisory board, (iii) such working group provides a copy of the finalized revision to the advisory board, the mayor, the speaker of the council and each agency covered by the environmental justice plan as revised. Upon receiving a copy of such plan, each agency covered by such plan shall publish a copy thereof on its website.
(L.L. 2017/064, 4/25/2017, eff. 4/25/2017; Am. L.L. 2017/060, 4/25/2017, eff. 4/25/2017)
Editor's note: For related unconsolidated provisions, see Appendix A at L.L. 2017/060 and L.L. 2017/064.
To the extent practicable, each agency covered by the environmental justice plan shall conduct its programs, policies and activities in accordance with the environmental justice plan, provided that the application of such plan to any such agency shall be consistent with the powers and duties of such agency as set forth in the charter and all applicable laws.
(L.L. 2017/064, 4/25/2017, eff. 4/25/2017)
Editor's note: For related unconsolidated provisions, see Appendix A at L.L. 2017/064.
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