Environmental Justice Policy
CMEJ is well aware that fighting site by site and facility by facility in an Environmental Justice community where "legacy polluters" are is insufficient and unsustainable. We look to systemic, structural changes that will address the cumulative pollution experienced in our neighborhoods, and move toward a vision of sustainability - as true sustainability must have justice at its core. These issues are multi-jurisdictional and we activate and move policy at those multiple levels.
Proposed Policies at City and State Levels
City: Enact an Environmental Justice ordinance requiring cumulative health impacts assessment and land use reviews which ensure community say on land developments. Hold all jurisdictional development in adherence (freeway projects etc.).
City: Study what it would take use eminent domain to purchase Northern Metals and other problematic industrial land that is rented out to bad actors. Use purchased land for a community investment trust plan for cleanup and community use/public benefit. Begin a community visioning project to work with the community affected by Northern Metals to develop a vision for redevelopment of the site and other problematic adjacent properties. Use COVID Recovery Act dollars to this end.
State: MN Pollution Control Agency and MN Dept of Health:
Change MPCA and MDH authority on cumulative health impacts and ability to regulate industry and state projects (i.e. highways) in Environmental Justice areas [state legislation change], in order to require more protective measures in Environmental Justice communities and to give the agencies the ability to shutdown repeat bad actors. Act in Fall 2021-2022 legislative session.
Change statutory language to ensure fines from MPCA enforcement actions go into an Environmental Justice Fund (not just the general fund) so money will be invested back into the community where the harm occurred. Ensure that testing/reporting plan/monitoring is more comprehensive in Environmental Justice neighborhoods - and is done by 3rd parties during litigations (like we had Northern Northern Metals doing). It is clear MPCA's monitoring plan has serious gaps. Revise to account for duration, concentration, toxicity, and spatial exposure to vulnerable populations (women of child bearing age, children, elderly).
Public forum to share the comprehensive plan for reductions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and cumulative impacts of toxics/co-pollutants/criteria pollutants in Environmental Justice communities by MPCA permitted facilities. Open and provide notice of MPCA Environmental Justice advisory meetings for community members to have access and provide comments on Environmental Justice concerns.
STATE: Environmental Quality Board (state): Ensure environmental review in Environmental Justice neighborhoods more thorough, including reviews done by third parties when property is owned by City (RGU).
Zoning
CMEJ's Comments On Zoning
Zoning Law
The City of Minneapolis is rewriting zoning rules for the first time in decades. This is a historic opportunity for the City to better protect public health.
When zoning was established nearly 100 years ago in cities across the country, it played a major role in segregation and the concentration of unwanted, toxic industries in lower income and communities of color. As a systemic policy tool that has codified land-use segregation across our city, we must be intentional in the details of this zoning rewrite to ensure the health of our families today, and for generations to come.
MCEA and Community Members for Environmental Justice (CMEJ) have identified three demands we want from the City as they finalize the specific, technical, language of Minneapolis’ zoning laws. Take our joint online action to help support these important demands.
Our demands:
The public, and especially environmental justice neighborhoods, must have meaningful notice and involvement in planning and zoning decisions that pose pollution risks.
Buffers that protect public health need to be required between where people live and industry that poses pollution risks.
Our zoning rules need to prevent existing polluting facilities from using special provisions to increase their toxic impact on communities.
Amortization
May 7,2024 Update
Our amortization bill has been laid over into the omnibus for potential consideration. While some interpret this as a positive step, it's crucial to note that our bill was also dropped from the House omnibus, leaving us uncertain about its fate.
During the hearing, we engaged with the Teamsters union, whom we've been actively trying to connect with throughout this session to discuss the bill's impact on jobs. It's essential to recognize that the detrimental health effects of major polluters don't just affect our community members but also the individuals employed within these facilities.
A huge benefit of white supremacist structures is the ability to pit two people who are in the same boat against one another. Through providing jobs and a means of living, they can exploit the health of the people they're employing and convince them that the health of the surrounding community and even themselves is worth the paycheck. Amortization would benefit the health of both the community members and the employees of corporations that exploit them. This is our common ground.
We advocate for a dialogue with labor unions because we value job security. In a society where financial interests often overshadow public health, shouldn't we prioritize collaboration to support one another? Let's work together towards solutions that benefit both our economy and the well-being of all individuals.
Join us in reaching out to the Teamsters union. Together, we can encourage a response and foster meaningful discussions about how we can protect both jobs and public health.