Is your community prone to environmental hazards? EJ wants to inform you

To the editor:

Environmental Justice means making sure that communities of every race, color, and income status receive the same protection from environmental and health hazards, and have equal access to the decision-making process about projects and policies impacting their lives to ensure a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and work.

Much of Mountainkeeper’s work is done with Environmental Justice (EJ) in mind, from keeping our drinking water safe from pollution by the fossil fuel industry to protecting low-income and underserved communities from exposure to toxic contaminants in nearby landfills and Superfund sites. At 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 9, Mountainkeeper is hosting a webinar dedicated to broadening the understanding of EJ throughout our region, and examining how these issues impact our communities. Mountainkeeper’s Environmental Justice Coordinator, Taylor Jaffe, will guide participants through her comprehensive Catskills EJ landscape analysis, which details where communities are most exposed to tainted drinking water and waste contamination, among other environmental hazards.

To achieve EJ for our region, each and every one of us must be involved in decisions that affect life in our communities. Register for our Environmental Justice webinar to take the first step toward making your voice heard by learning how to identify environmental hazards in your community. This presentation will also feature a Q&A session, so please come prepared with your questions!