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a. The interagency working group, in consultation with the advisory board, shall identify and consider existing data, research and analysis that relates to environmental justice concerns raised by city agency programs, policies, facilities, and activities and that may inform city agency decisions regarding programs, policies, facilities, and activities.
b. The interagency working group, in consultation with the advisory board, shall identify data collection, research, or analysis that may be undertaken by a city agency that relates to environmental justice concerns and may inform city agency decisions regarding programs, policies, facilities, and activities, and shall work with city agencies to facilitate such data collection, research, or analysis.
c. Information collected pursuant to this subdivision shall be made available to the public as practicable, unless prohibited by law.
d. City agencies shall, whenever practicable and appropriate, use existing data systems and coordinate with other agencies and with federal, state or other local governments to share information and eliminate unnecessary duplication of efforts.
(L.L. 2017/064, 4/25/2017, eff. 4/25/2017, eff. 4/25/2017)
Editor's note: For related unconsolidated provisions, see Appendix A at L.L. 2017/064.
a. There is hereby established an advisory board on environmental justice that shall consist of the following members:
1. Seven members appointed by the mayor;
2. Seven members appointed by the speaker of the council; and
3. One member who shall serve as the chair of such board and who shall be appointed by the mayor in consultation with such speaker.
b. Each member of the advisory board shall be:
1. An individual who is, at the time of appointment, a director, member or employee of an organization engaged primarily in work promoting environmental justice;
2. A resident of an environmental justice area;
3. A member of a community board representing a community district that is located in whole or in part in an environmental justice area; or
4. A faculty member of an academic institution located within the city and who specializes in one of the environmental sciences, environmental health, environmental justice, human rights or urban planning.
c. The mayor and the speaker of the council shall consult and, to the extent practicable, ensure that the advisory board includes at least one member, appointed pursuant to paragraph one or two of subdivision a of this section, who is a resident of or a member of a community board representing a community district located in whole or in part in each borough of the city.
d. 1. Advisory board members shall serve without compensation.
2. The initial appointment of advisory board members shall be completed by no later than six months after the effective date of the local law that added this section.
3. Advisory board members shall serve terms of three years.
4. Any vacancy on the advisory board shall be filled in the manner of original appointment.
e. The advisory board shall:
1. Consult with the interagency working group in the preparation of the environmental justice plan and any revisions thereto;
2. Review and comment on the draft environmental justice plan and any revisions thereto before its finalization by the interagency working group;
3. Hold public hearings pursuant to subdivision f of this section;
4. Convey public comments received at such hearings as well as its own comments regarding the draft environmental justice plan and any revisions thereto to the interagency working group;
5. Make recommendations to the interagency working group concerning any matter considered by, or action to be taken by, the interagency working group or for otherwise promoting environmental justice;
6. Review proposed and final environmental justice plans, and proposed revisions thereto, and make recommendations to the interagency working group relating to such plans and proposed revisions; and
7. Recommend agencies or offices for inclusion in the interagency working group.
f. 1. The advisory board shall hold public meetings, as it deems appropriate, for the purpose of (i) fact-finding, (ii) receiving public comments, (iii) discussing recommendations submitted to, or to be submitted to, the interagency working group and (iv) promoting environmental justice.
2. The advisory board shall hold at least two such meetings in each year; provided that if the local law adding this paragraph is enacted on or after June 30 in any year, the advisory board need only hold at least one meeting in such year.
3. During the review of a draft environmental justice plan pursuant to paragraph 2 of subdivision b of section 3-1003 or the review of revisions to a final environmental justice plan pursuant to paragraph 2 of subdivision c of such section, the advisory board shall hold at least one such meeting on such plan or revisions in each borough in which all or part of at least one environmental justice area is located.
4. The advisory board shall provide notice to the public at least three weeks before such meetings, where practicable.
(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.
a. 1. By no later than December 31, 2018, and by December 31 in every fifth year thereafter, the interagency working group, with the cooperation of all relevant agencies, shall (i) conduct a study which shall identify and describe opportunities for and means of promoting environmental justice in the city, (ii) submit a report to the mayor and the speaker of the council on the findings of such study, and (iii) make a copy of such report publicly available online. Such study shall, at a minimum, evaluate and set forth the following:
(a) The locations and boundaries of environmental justice areas;
(b) A description of environmental justice concerns that may affect environmental justice areas and, for each such concern, (i) identify locations within the city experiencing such concern, if such locations can be reasonably determined, and (ii) propose data collection, research, or analysis that may be undertaken by a city agency to identify locations within the city experiencing the environmental justice concern;
(c) An estimate of the current federal, state and local investment per capita in utilization of renewable energy sources in environmental justice areas as compared to an estimate of such investment per capita for all parts of the city located outside such areas;
(d) A description of barriers to meaningful participation in environmental decision-making affecting residents of environmental justice areas;
(e) Existing city programs and processes that advance environmental justice goals and may be used by the public to participate in city agency decision-making;
(f) Existing city programs and processes that allow for public engagement with and participation in decisions made by city agencies regarding siting facilities and infrastructure;
(g) Existing city programs, policies, activities and processes that may otherwise implicate environmental justice concerns;
(h) Changes that may be made to existing city programs and policies to facilitate participation by populations in environmental justice areas in decision-making that implicates environmental justice concerns;
(i) Available data relating to environmental factors, including but not limited to air and water quality, the location and attributes of infrastructure owned, maintained and operated by the city, and concentrations of violations of city environmental regulations, that may reflect environmental problems in environmental justice areas; and
(j) Environmental justice programs proposed or being implemented in other municipalities or states within the United States.
2. Before commencing such environmental justice study, the interagency working group shall present a proposed design and scope for such study to the advisory board, which shall return its recommendations or comments within 30 days. The interagency working group shall include in the final design and scope for such study such working group's responses to all recommendations or comments submitted by such board and shall present to the advisory board and make publicly available online the final design and scope for the environmental justice study before commencing such study.
3. Before finalizing the environmental justice study, the interagency working group shall present such study in draft form to the advisory board, which shall return its recommendations or comments within 60 days. The interagency working group shall include in the final environmental justice study responses to all recommendations or comments submitted by such board.
b. By no later than June 30, 2019, the interagency working group, with the cooperation of all relevant agencies, shall make publicly available online an interactive map that can be used to (i) view the location and boundaries of environmental justice areas; (ii) view the location of facilities and infrastructure identified pursuant to subparagraph (c) of paragraph 1 of subdivision d of section 3-1002, except where identifying the location of such facility or infrastructure would pose a security risk; and (iii) search for such facilities and infrastructure by address, zip code, council district, community district and type of environmental concern. The interagency working group shall thereafter update such map as needed to reflect changes in such data.
c. By no later than December 31, 2018, the office of long-term planning and sustainability, or such other office or agency as the mayor may designate, in consultation with the department of environmental protection, the department of health and mental hygiene and other relevant agencies, shall create and maintain an environmental justice portal on the city's website that provides easy access to the following resources:
1. Data, maps and other information from city, state and federal sources, and from other relevant sources, relating to environmental justice concerns;
2. Any study or plan published by the city relating to environmental justice concerns;
3. Agency programs that promote environmental justice and foster community engagement with and participation in agency decision-making that implicates environmental justice concerns; and
4. New York state and federal programs that promote environmental justice.
(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.