Speaker Bios

Welcome and Opening Keynote | 10:00 A.M. - 11:00 A.M. | Recording
● Reverend William Barber II, President, and Senior Lecturer of Repairers of the Breach & Co-Chair of the Poor People’s Campaign

Concurrent Sessions I | 11:10 A.M. - 12:25 P.M.

1A: Environmental Racism, Incarceration, and Toxic Prisons in the United States of America | FB | Youtube | Recording
● Ufuoma Ovienmhada, PhD Student, Space Enabled Research Group, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab (moderator)
● Amite Dominick, President, Texas Prison Community Advocates
● Mei Azaad, Grassroots Community Organizer, Campaign to Fight Toxic Prisons (FTP)
● Brian Kaneda, Deputy Director, California's United for a Responsible Budget (CURB)
● Carlee Purdum, Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University
● Julie Skarha, Environmental Epidemiologist, Brown University

Description: Environmental racism, incarceration, and toxic prisons are interconnected issues in the United States, highlighting the intersection of environmental injustice and the criminal justice system. These issues disproportionately affect marginalized communities, particularly people of color and low-income individuals. According to the NAACP, 32% of the US population is represented by African Americans and Hispanics, compared to 56% of the US incarcerated population being represented by African Americans and Hispanics. Toxic prisons refer to correctional facilities that are located in areas with high levels of environmental pollution or contamination, exposing incarcerated individuals and staff to health risks. Inmates in toxic prisons may suffer from a range of health issues due to exposure to pollutants, such as respiratory problems, skin conditions, and other chronic illnesses. Many incarcerated individuals have limited access to adequate healthcare, exacerbating the health risks associated with exposure to toxic environments. The interconnection between these issues becomes evident when examining the locations of prisons. Often, prisons are located in areas with low property values, where environmental hazards are more abundant. This means that incarcerated individuals, who are disproportionately people of color, face not only the injustices of the criminal justice system, but also the health risks associated with environmental pollution.

Efforts to address these interconnected issues involve advocacy for environmental justice, prison reform, and criminal justice reform. It's important to recognize that these issues are deeply rooted and require systemic changes to address the structural racism and inequality that underlie them. Grassroots movements, policy changes, and community-based initiatives play a crucial role in addressing environmental racism, incarceration disparities, and the toxic prison environment in the United States. In this session, panelists will discuss the connection between environmental justice, and racism in the modern U.S. carceral system. They will discuss the impact of toxic prisons on the health and quality of life of incarcerated individuals. Finally, the panelists will discuss the movement against toxic prisons and alternatives that are more in line with environmental justice principles and human rights frameworks.

1B: Environmental Justice and the Cancer Moonshot Program: A Framework for Action | FB | Youtube | Recording
● Gary Puckrein, President and CEO, National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF)

Description: In January 2016, President Barack Obama announced the creation of the Cancer “Moonshot” Task Force. Following his election as President in 2020, Biden has continued the Cancer Moonshot, which focuses on several key areas, including: (1) enhancing cancer prevention and early detection methods; (2) expanding the understanding of cancer through improved data sharing and collaboration, particularly in marginalized communities; (3) accelerating the development and approval of new cancer therapies; and (4) improving patient access to cancer treatments and care. While there has been substantial progress in cancer treatment, screening, diagnosis, and prevention over the past several decades, communities marginalized by lower socioeconomic status, geographically isolated, or belonging to a racial minority are slow to see the benefits. In addition, cumulative risk, carcinogens, and environmental justice are closely linked. People who live in environmental justice communities are often disproportionately exposed to multiple environmental stressors, including carcinogens. This is due to a number of factors, including: the location of polluting industries in communities of color and low-income communities, the lack of environmental regulation in these communities, and the lack of access to information about environmental hazards.

In this session, NMQF will discuss the details of the Cancer Moonshot program, and the relationship between environmental and social determinants of health and cancer disparities in populations of color, including the role of environmental injustice, racism, and segregation. Attendees will hear about innovations in science, funding, and partnerships that can help address cancer-related health inequities in populations of color; and how fields of medicine, public health, and other disciplines need to work together to develop multifaceted approaches to address environmental burden and cancer disparities in populations and communities of color. Furthermore, attendees will become familiar with NMQF’s newly launched demonstration project, The Cancer Stage Shifting Initiative (CSSI), as an example of how this national mobilization might be accomplished.

1C: Environmental Justice, Industrial Animal Agriculture, and Rural Communities | FB | Youtube | Recording
● Chris Hawn, Co-Director, Research and Education, North Carolina Environmental Justice Network (NCEJN) (moderator)
● Sherri White-Williamson, Director, Environmental Justice Community Action Network (EJCAN); Member, Environmental Justice Board, NC Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)
● Courtney Woods, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, UNC-Chapel Hill
● Tyler Lobdell, Staff Attorney, Food & Water Watch
● Phoebe Seaton, Co-Executive Director, Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability

Description: In communities across rural America, residents are being stripped of their basic human rights to clean air and water by industrial animal agriculture including confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and related facilities (i.e., biogas plants). Industrial chicken farms and industrial hog farms operations are sources of nitrates and other chemicals that can contaminate rivers and streams causing eutrophication and fish kills. Additionally, these factory farms emit toxic pollutants including particulate matter, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and microbes like E. coli and Salmonella that can impact human health. These factory farms tend to be disproportionately sited in communities of color, low-income areas, and neighborhoods with limited power. In addition to factory farms, biogas plants have been touted as false climate change solutions to capture methane gas associated with industrial animal agriculture.

In this session, panelists will discuss the negative impacts of industrial animal agriculture and biogas facilities and share national efforts to combat them. They'll offer valuable insights and strategies for addressing these issues locally. Additionally, they'll talk about fair and sustainable climate-smart agricultural policies, focusing on benefits for communities disproportionately affected by these operations.

1D: International Environmental Justice Issues | FB | Youtube | Recording
● Vivek Maru, Co-Founder and CEO, Namati (moderator)
● Elijah Lempaira, Organizer and Program Officer, Indigenous Movement for Peace Advancement & Conflict Transformation, Kenya
● Dauda Golia, Senior Community Paralegal, Namati Sierra Leone

Description: In this session, organizers from Kenya and Sierra Leone will describe how communities have combined legal knowledge and organizing to achieve breakthroughs in the protection of land and environmental rights. In Sierra Leone, communities drew on a decade of local struggles against land grabs and pollution to envision, fight for, and win a new law, one of the most progressive laws on land and environment in the world. In Kenya, Indigenous communities from across the country came together to jumpstart implementation of the Kenya Community Land Act, a critical law that protects community land rights, which had gone unimplemented for years.

During the session, panelists will also offer comparative insights about the struggle for environmental justice globally, including Asia, Latin America, and North America and discuss how communities in the Mid-Atlantic can work in solidarity with others facing similar challenges around the world. Attendees will hear how the activists organized within their communities to seek new avenues for environmental justice, including national legislation, transnational litigation, local adaptation, impact litigation, and intersectional campaigns. They will discuss challenges, lessons learned, and best practices that can be shared with others seeking sovereignty and environmental, climate, land, and energy justice in other parts of the world.

Lunchtime Plenary | 12:30 P.M. - 1:20 P.M.

Environmental Justice, Reparations, and Restorative Justice: If Not Now, Then When? | FB | Youtube | Recording
● Sacoby Wilson, Director, Community Engagement, Environmental Justice, and Health (CEEJH), School of Public Health, University of Maryland (moderator)
● Mustafa Santiago Ali, Executive Vice President, National Wildlife Federation (NWF)

Description: Descendants of enslaved Africans, Indigenous peoples in the United States and the Global South have historically suffered through the violent acts of colonization committed in the spirit of extractive capitalism and white supremacy. All of these communities have faced historical and ongoing injustices related to land dispossession, environmental degradation, and environmental slavery. Addressing these injustices and advocating for reparations and restorative justice is a complex and multifaceted challenge. The Black Lives Matter and Land Back movement, for example, demand reparations rooted in the reclamation of influence and sovereignty of BIPOC people. Some environmental activists and advocates argue that environmental reparations are necessary to address historical and ongoing racial and classist injustices faced by marginalized communities. To achieve environmental justice, reparations must be considered as a means of rectifying historical injustices, while restorative justice principles can guide the development of policies and practices that prioritize community engagement, accountability, and healing in environmental decision-making.

This lunchtime plenary will shed light on the historical and ongoing environmental injustices faced by these communities and explore the strategies and solutions aimed at rectifying these wrongs. We will also discuss the additional complexities of applying these solutions globally and highlight missed opportunities on pivotal platforms such as the international COP meetings. Additionally, this discussion will cultivate a meaningful dialogue on how environmental reparations and restorative justice can help heal the land and empower BIPOC and Global South communities to build a more sustainable and just future.

Concurrent Sessions II | 1:30 P.M. - 2:45 P.M.

2A: Title VI, Civil Rights, and Environmental Justice | FB | Youtube | Recording
● Leslie Fields, Former National Director, Policy Advocacy and Legal, Sierra Club (moderator)
● Patrice L. Simms, Vice President, Litigation for Healthy Communities, Earthjustice
● Chandra Taylor-Sawyer, Senior Attorney and Leader, Environmental Justice Initiative, (SELC); Adjunct Professor, School of Law, University of North Carolina
● Deena Tumeh, Attorney, EarthJustice

Description: Title VI is a federal statute enacted as part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits intentional discrimination and forbids funded or approved entities from enacting practices that have the effect of discriminating on the basis of race, color, or national origin. Title VI requires federal agencies to monitor their recipients and ensure their compliance. On February 11, 1994, Executive Order 12898 was signed by then-President Bill Clinton, directing all federal agencies to make environmental justice part of their missions. A Memorandum to the Executive Order directed all department and agency heads to ensure that all programs or activities receiving Federal financial assistance complied with Title VI. Unfortunately, this Executive Order was not the law and subsequent s from President Obama on environmental justice did little to ensure that Federal agencies complied with Title VI and other components of the Civil Rights Act to address environmental discrimination. Recently, the Department of Justice developed a comprehensive environmental justice strategy, including establishing an Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ). In addition, the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) announced for the first time that it will exercise “affirmative authority” to ensure that EPA funding recipients comply with Title VI.

In this session, specialists in civil rights law and environmental justice will examine the connections between Civil Rights, Title VI, and Environmental Justice. They will share their thoughts about the new Executive Order on Environmental Justice and possible benefits in the fight for civil rights and stronger Title VI enforcement. They will also discuss the opportunities for enhanced Title VI enforcement through the EPA’s new Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights. Additionally, the panelists will describe how their organization is using the Civil Rights Act, including Title VI or other components of the Civil Rights Act, in their work. In addition, the panelists will discuss recent victories related to Title VI and environmental justice that can be used across the country. Finally, the panelists will share with the audience the challenges that advocates, and legal professionals will face in ensuring compliance with Title VI by federal and state agencies due to recent Supreme Court cases including environmental justice accountability related to the Justice40 Initiative, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), and other Biden-era initiatives.

2B: The Politics of Heat: Heatwave Hell In America | FB | Youtube | Recording
● Rebecca Rehr, Director, Climate Policy and Justice, Maryland League of Conservation Voters (moderator)
● Renee Salas, Affiliated Faculty, Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
● Luis Ortiz, Assistant Professor of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Earth Sciences, George Mason University
● Lauren Smalls-Mantey, Environmental Systems Analyst, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

Description: In 2023, a new record for the hottest year ever recorded is anticipated, resulting in severe health consequences from extreme heat events in various cities. For example, Phoenix recently endured a 19-day period with temperatures exceeding 110 degrees, leading to approximately 300 deaths. Throughout this summer, cities nationwide have faced unprecedented high temperatures, endangering vulnerable groups such as the elderly and homeless. Research consistently highlights the unequal exposure to extreme urban heat, with BIPOC communities experiencing greater impact compared to White individuals in major U.S. cities. Factors like extensive concrete surfaces and reduced canopy cover create concentrated heat zones known as "urban heat islands." These disparities, coupled with historical racial injustices and segregated housing, result in significantly varied temperatures within cities, disproportionately affecting low-income and BIPOC communities.

In this session, experts will describe how historic and contemporary racism, discriminatory practices, and development disparities have made communities of color and low-income communities more susceptible to rising temperatures. The discussion will tackle the unequal effects of urban heat on vulnerable communities, owing to inadequate climate-resilient infrastructure. The session aims to propose solutions to address this inequity and offer insights into strategies for adapting to and mitigating the impact of urban heat islands. The panelists will share successful approaches from various cities to enhance the resilience of at-risk populations, particularly those facing health risks and fatalities due to heat-related issues.

2C: Use of Screening Tools to Advance Environmental and Climate Justice I | FB | Youtube | Recording
● T’Shari White, Education Coordinator, CEEJH and Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland (moderator)
● Sacoby Wilson, Director, Community Engagement, Environmental Justice11, and Health (CEEJH), School of Public Health, University of Maryland
● Jay Chakraborty, Professor, Sociology & Anthropology, Founding Director, Socio-Environmental & Geospatial Analysis (SEGA) Lab, University of Texas at El Paso
● Grace Lewis, Senior Health Scientist, Environmental Defense Fund

Description: Geospatial technologies including geographic information systems (GIS) have created an immense opportunity for visualizing the spatial patterning and cumulative impacts of environmental and climate injustice. The United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Justice Screening Tool (US EPA EJSCREEN) is perhaps the most well-known tool for EJ mapping but several others—from the private, non-profit, and public sectors—have appeared in recent years. From highly technical climate modelers to simple and intuitive story maps, the wide variety of available GIS tools matches the growing diversity of GIS users. President Biden specifically commissioned the development of a new national Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool to help facilitate efforts under the Justice40 Initiative and the implementation of the recently passed infrastructure bill.

Whether at the national, state, or local scales, environmental justice screening and mapping (EJSM) tools are changing the way we view, interpret, and address environmental and climate justice issues. These geospatial visualization tools are seen as important decision support tools in permitting, compliance, and enforcement actions, zoning, and microtargeting of communities with investments and new infrastructure. But what are the limitations of these technologies? What assumptions are being made in their use? Panelists will consider these questions in relation to environmental justice, as well as how to make mapping tools more accessible, applied, community friendly, and used for action and not inaction.

2D: My Sister’s Keeper: Celebration of Women Leaders in the Environmental Justice | FB | Youtube | Recording
Movement
● Tonya Phillips, Office of Faculty Assistance, University of Maryland (moderator)
● Dollie Burwell, Community Activist, Warren County, North Carolina
● Nataki Osborne Jelks, Assistant Professor, Spelman College; Board member, West Atlanta Watershed Alliance (WAWA)
● Lynn Pinder, Founding Member, Baltimore (MD) Green Justice Workers Cooperative (BGJWC)
● Romona Taylor-Williams, Executive Director, Mississippi Communities United for Progress

Description: “When you raise a woman, you raise a nation.” Women and young girls are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change and environmental degradation. According to a study conducted in 2016, women are likely to experience disproportionate environmental burdens (distributional injustice) and are less likely than male counterparts to have a say in making environmental decisions (procedural injustice), both coupled to impact women’s health (substantive injustice). Reportedly, women have lower incomes and social status resulting from capitalist and patriarchal structures and processes. Women of color face more challenges with the threat of climate change and daily issues related to the social determinants of health. Hence, why representation from women within the environmental justice movement is so imperative to facilitating change.

Women in the Environmental Justice movement have been working diligently to uplift their communities, address, and resolve intense environmental, climate, and energy justice challenges. The list of women in the movement is long, and the women highlighted in this session have been incredible in advancing environmental justice. This session illuminates and celebrates women of color who are trailblazers and those who are emerging leaders in the environmental justice space. Additionally, panelists will share important lessons learned, and provide guidance to the new generation seeking to do the important work of uplifting frontline and fenceline communities experiencing environmental, climate and energy injustices.

Concurrent Sessions III | 3:00 PM - 4:15 PM

3A: Environmental Justice and The Built Environment | FB | Youtube | Recording
Pamela Bingham, Operations Manager, CEEJH, University of Maryland (moderator)
● Carlton Eley, Senior Director, Federal Strategies, Race Forward
● Tony Graham, Retired Associate Professor, Built Environment Department, North Carolina A&T University
● Stephanie Roberts-Bowman, Project Manager, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina and President, Sunrise Environmental
● Olon Dotson, Professor and Chair of Architecture, College of Architecture and Planning, The Ball State University
● Kofi Boone, FASLA, Joseph D. Moore Distinguished Professor and University Faculty Scholar, Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, North Carolina State University

Description: The “built environment”, a term often used to describe man-made spaces and infrastructure where people live and work in, has a large impact on the environment, including but not limited to energy use and greenhouse gasses (accounting for 40% of yearly CO2 emissions). Twenty-seven percent of greenhouse gas emissions are attributed to building operations, while 13% of greenhouse gas emissions are a result of building materials and construction. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is attempting to address these issues by allocating more than $300 billion to climate change related initiatives through grants, tax credits and other methods. The IRA aims to help families by reducing energy costs and making home efficiency upgrades more affordable. Additionally, there are funding initiatives surpassing $20 Billion such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Clean Energy Fund, and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund that directly involve those who work in “the built environment”.

In this session, panelists from the fields of architecture, engineering, planning, building construction, and geography will discuss the role that the built environment plays in driving environmental injustice and environmental health disparities. They will discuss how they integrate the environmental justice framework into their work and discuss effective strategies that can be used to make communities healthier, sustainable, and more just.

3B: Climate and Environmental Justice Implications of Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) and
Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) | FB | Youtube | Recording
● Astrid Caldas, Senior Climate Scientist, Community Resilience (moderator)
● Alexander Peek, Climate and Environmental Justice Strategist, Carbon Direct (moderator)
● Ana Baptista, Associate Professor, The New School
● Lanor Curole, Director/Administrator, United Houma Nation
● Maya Batres, Senior Advisor for Climate Equity, The Nature Conservancy
● Nicole M. Parra, Vice President, Community Affairs, California Resources Corporation

Description: Legacy greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are already in the atmosphere, causing anthropogenic climate change and endangering public health as well as ecosystems worldwide. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report, GHG emissions have climbed steadily over the past decade, reaching 59 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent (GtCO2e) in 2019 — approximately 12% higher than in 2010. Within the report, scientists outline a portfolio approach to reduce and remove CO2 which includes the large deployment of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) as well as carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies. Abatement technologies backed by government finance, such as commercial-scale direct air capture (DAC) facilities in Texas and Louisiana are part of a larger national strategy around removing legacy CO2 emissions while also supposedly advancing climate and environmental justice. However, criticisms remain as to the actual impacts of CDR and CCS on affected communities. Reforestation, and other land based solutions, offer a low-cost strategy, but its implementation can disrupt land tenure and community ownership. Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) offers a more permanent solution but poses risks around overtaking croplands and increasing food insecurity. And carbon dioxide removal facilities placed near overburdened communities who suffer from the cumulative impacts of pollution can potentially bring more harm. Diligent research and true collaboration are required for such technologies to be of use to climate and environmental justice efforts.

In this session, a diverse group of speakers representing tribal nations, nonprofit organizations in the carbon management space, government officials, and academics, will discuss the impact of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies on the pursuit of climate and environmental justice. In addition, panelists will also discuss how these technologies can be leveraged by nation-states and industry to remove legacy emissions that are tied to the history of environmental slavery, colonization and subjugation of people of color worldwide, environmental, climate, and energy injustices, and health inequities.. Panelists will reflect on the rapid growth of CDR and CCS and the impact it poses to communities in its development. Panelists will also ponder how stakeholders can envision and create justice-centered approaches in the carbon removal sector and what type of injustices to anticipate, both in nature-based and technological carbon removal. They will share insights on the different purposes of CDR and CCS, highlighting important gaps, obstacles, and shortcomings associated with utilizing these technologies as authentic climate mitigation and justice tools.

3C: Environmental Justice, Cumulative Impacts, and Environmental Decision-Making I:
Foundational Concepts for Cumulative Impacts Assessments and Action | FB | Youtube | Recording
● Charles Lee, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of Environmental Justice, US Environmental Protection Agency (moderator)
● Sacoby Wilson, Director, Community Engagement, Environmental Justice, and Health (CEEJH), School of Public Health, University of Maryland
● Sandra Whitehead, Program Director, Sustainable Urban Planning Program, The George Washington University
● Jerome Shabazz, Executive Director, Overbrook Environmental Education Center
● Ben Pauli, Associate Professor, Social Sciences, Kettering University

Description: A set of principles and approaches is emerging for assessing and addressing cumulative impacts that systematically critiques and moves beyond fragmentation in environmental policy and traditional risk assessment. These principles include: centering our work on improving environment and health in overburdened communities; focusing on disproportionate burden of cumulative impacts; applying a fit-for-purpose approach for assessing and addressing cumulative impacts; meaningfully engaging communities and incorporate their lived experience through both quantitative and qualitative data; promoting a bias for action; and building systems to operationalize and integrate ways to address cumulative impacts, with a focus on measuring progress and continuous learning. The US EPA’s National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC) has convened a cumulative impacts working group, co-chaired by Sandra Whitehead (GWU) and Kristie Ellickson (UCS). Panelists on the NEJAC workgroup will present important foundational concepts in community-defined cumulative impact assessment and action.

3D: Faith-Based Initiatives to Address Extreme Heat Issues | FB | Youtube | Recording
● Karyn Bigelow, Co-Executive Director, Creation Justice Ministries (moderator)
● Christian Brooks, Climate and Environmental Justice Consultant, Christian Brooks, LLC
● Theron Jackson, Senior Pastor, Morning Star Baptist Church
● Ava Richardson, Director of Sustainability, Baltimore Office of Sustainability

Description: As temperatures rise and the frequency of heat waves intensifies, it is crucial to come together and explore effective strategies for mitigating the impacts of extreme heat on BIPOC and other vulnerable populations. Join this session to hear ways that the Black faith community can nurture resilience and foster community strength in the context of extreme heat events. Our expert panel will discuss the disproportionate effects of extreme heat on marginalized communities, particularly focusing on the experiences of communities of color. By examining the root causes of these disparities, we aim to create awareness and advocate for equitable solutions. We will also explore practical approaches to building resilience and protecting communities during extreme heat events from establishing cooling stations and providing access to safe drinking water to implementing heat response plans.

3E: Indigenous Perspectives on Environmental Justice I | FB | Youtube | Recording
● Jessica Hernandez, Founder, Piña Soul (moderator)
● Jacqueline D. Shirley, Tribal member, Native Village of Hooper Bay on the Bering Sea Coast, Member, U.S. EPA National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC)
● Deborah McGregor, Anishinaabe from Whitefish River First Nation, Associate Professor, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Environmental Justice, Law School, York University
● Chelsea Chee, Member, Navajo Nation, Customer Care Lead, Native Renewables
● Joseph Gazing Wolf, Senior Global Futures Scientist, Member, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Arizona State University
● Amber Starks (Melanin Myskoke), Black (African-American) and Native/Indigenous activist, Member, Muscogee (Creek) Nation

Description: Cultural erasure, political disenfranchisement, economic divestment, and an ever-growing climate crisis have culminated in many Indigenous communities facing dire environmental injustices and health disparities. Recent events including a 5-4 decision penned by Justice Kavanaugh, the Supreme Court overturned the Ninth Circuit's judgment, asserting that although Indian tribe land reservations inherently encompass water usage rights, the absence of explicit language in the 1868 treaty obligating the United States to secure such water precluded the Navajo Nation from pursuing a breach of trust lawsuit. This as well as the Supreme Court's 7-2 ruling in Haaland v. Brackeen upholding the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), preserving an essential law for Native American communities, have brought wider attention to these issues. Furthermore, the ongoing construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline on the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's territory highlights that a significant portion of mining, industrial, and military activities in proximity to Indigenous lands often escapes the attention of the majority of the American populace. Tribes do not reap the full benefits of these activities--they bear a disproportionate burden of the environmental, social, health, and economic costs.

In this session, panelists belonging to diverse tribes with backgrounds in advocacy and academia will discuss their views on the present environmental, energy, and climate justice movements, their current work to advance justice and equity for Indigenous communities, the daily challenges they face, emerging concerns, and impact of recent court cases like the Navajo nation water rights case. Panelists will also discuss climate justice challenges unique to their geographical regions, and how indigenous perspectives can provide new approaches to climate justice, solutions and strategies that can help indigenous peoples address environmental historic, contemporary, and emerging environmental, climate, and energy justice issues.

Closing Plenary | 4:30 P.M. – 5:45 P.M.

People, Power, & Politics: NAACP and the Fight for Environmental and Energy Justice | FB | Youtube | Recording
● Sacoby Wilson, Director, Community Engagement, Environmental Justice, and Health (CEEJH), School of Public Health, University of Maryland (moderator)
● Karen Campblin, Virginia State Conference NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice
● Staci Hartwell, Chair of the Environmental & Climate Justice Committee, Maryland State Conference, NAACP
● Abre’ Conner, Director, Environmental and Climate Justice, NAACP

Description: The NAACP has a long and storied history of fighting for environmental, climate, and energy justice. From its early work on lead poisoning to its recent campaigns to promote renewable energy, the NAACP has been at the forefront of the fight to ensure that all communities have access to clean air, clean water, and a healthy environment. In 2016, the NAACP published Coal Blooded: Putting Profits Before People, demonstrating both the urgency and opportunity for community action with respect to coal fired power plants — an issue at the intersection between environmental and climate justice. The report details the systematic study and evaluation of 378 coal-fired power plants in the United States, how it affects low-income communities and communities of color, and how the traditional energy sector has long put politics and power above the people.

In this session, panelists will describe the history of the NAACP's environmental justice work, strategies for achieving environmental and energy justice, the role of community organizing, and the intersections of environmental and energy justice with other social justice issues, such as racial justice, economic justice, and climate justice. They will explain how the BLM movement and NAACP have been working together; what the NAACP is doing in regard to specific issues such as the environmental racism and the water crisis in Jackson, MS; and how we can make sure that environmental solutions are fair and sustainable. In regard to recent anti-critical race theory actions in Florida, Arkansas, and other states, the panelists will discuss how we can address environmental and energy injustices in these states where CRT is under attack, among other challenges that marginalized communities of color have faced in recent years.

Speaker Bios

Welcome and Opening Keynote | 10:00 A.M. - 11:00 A.M.
● Robin Morris-Collin, Senior Advisor, Administrator for Environmental Justice, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Concurrent Sessions I | 11:10 A.M. - 12:25 P.M.

1A: The Fight for Energy Justice | FB | Youtube
● Adrienne Hollis, Vice President, Environmental Justice, Health, and Community Revitalization, National Wildlife Federation (NWF) (moderator)
● Constance Thompson, ACORE Senior Vice President, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice
● Nicole Sitaraman, Acting Director, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
● Yinka Bode-George, CEO, Sustain Our Future
● Shelley Francis, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, EVNoire
● John Red Cloud, Managing Director, Red Cloud Renewable

Description: Energy injustice not only profoundly impacts health, but contributes to environmental issues, including waste problems and air pollution. Additionally, low-wealth communities, communities of color, indigenous groups, and under-resourced communities, are differentially impacted by fossil fuels across their life cycles. Communities experiencing energy injustice also receive fewer benefits from energy production. Energy justice is a grassroots energy agenda, supporting communities threatened by dirty energy and waste technologies. It advocates for transitioning away from fossil fuels to renewable energy over the next two decades, and moving towards a low-carbon regenerative economy that will remedy the injustices of the fossil-fuel energy system and extractive economy across multiple sectors.

In this session, panelists will discuss the need to prioritize environmental and energy justice principles to ensure that frontline and fenceline communities are the primary beneficiaries of technological advancements in the clean energy sector and delve deeper into how this might be achieved through community engagement. Each of our panelists will integrate their knowledge of climate justice through their background and expertise in diversity, equity, and inclusion in clean energy practices, the enhancement of electrification opportunities for multi-model clean transportation in education and outreach, and research focused on the production and persistence of racial, economic, and geographic-related disparities in energy infrastructure and equitable solutions to these issues. Finally, they will discuss their vision for the continuing and just transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.

1B: Black Lives Matter and the Supreme Court: What Does the Recent Affirmative Action
Ruling Mean for the Environmental Justice Movement? | FB | Youtube
● Fred Tutman, CEO, Head Riverkeeper, Patuxent Riverkeeper (moderator)
● Mustafa Ali, Executive Vice President, National Wildlife Federation (NWF)
● Carlton Waterhouse, International Expert, Environmental Law and Environmental Justice, Howard Law
● Marianne Engelman Lado, Deputy General Counsel of Environmental Initiatives, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
● Quentin Pair, Attorney, Retired, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Recently, the Supreme Court's decisions have had a profound impact on civil rights and the pursuit of justice. Specifically, with the overturn of affirmative action, a policy aimed at addressing historical disadvantages faced by marginalized communities, especially Black Americans. Affirmative action policies are designed to address historical and ongoing racial disparities in education and employment. While the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement and Supreme Court rulings on affirmative action may not be directly related to environmental justice, they intersect in various ways. These disparities can also impact a community's ability to advocate for environmental justice, as education and employment opportunities play a role in civic engagement and the capacity to address environmental concerns effectively.

Panelists will discuss what the recent affirmative action means for the environmental justice movement. This discussion highlights the need for a holistic approach to addressing systemic racial disparities, recognizing that social justice, economic empowerment, and environmental justice are interconnected aspects of achieving a more equitable and sustainable society. Attendees will gain invaluable insights into the historical ties between racial justice and environmental justice, and how the Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling and future rulings may shape the prospects for both areas moving forward.

1C: Use of Screening Tools to Advance Environmental and Climate Justice II: Introduction of
the HBCU Environmental Justice Screening Tool (HEJTT) | FB | Youtube
● Cari R. Harris, Project Manager, HBCU EJ Technical Team (HEJTT) (moderator)
● Reginald Archer, Assistant Professor, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture, Tennessee State University
● Linda Loubert, Associate Professor, Economics, Morgan State University
● Paul Robinson, Assistant Professor, Charles R. Drew University
● Tony Graham, Retired Associate Professor, Built Environment Department, North Carolina A&T University
● David Padgett, Associate Professor, Geography, Director, Geographic and Information Sciences Laboratory, Tennessee State University

Description: The Biden Administration has developed an initiative entitled Justice 40 requiring that environmental funding be allocated to the 40% most disadvantaged communities in the U.S.in various federal programs. The Administration also released the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool. After the release of the CEJST, there was a vigorous discussion about the tool’s release without an indicator for “race” and the implications of ignoring this indicator in determining which communities were designated as “disadvantaged”. The HBCU EJ Technical Team (HEJTT) members have been working on the democratization of GIS use for several decades. They began to evaluate communities in the Southern United States to determine the potential impacts of ignoring race as an indicator. After analysis, the HEJTT was selected by The Bullard Center/Texas Southern University to develop a screening tool with a race indicator.

In this session, panelists representing HBCUs will address some preliminary findings of the team’s analyses. The panelists will discuss how the new tool can be used to better identify communities that are disproportionately impacted by environmental hazards, and they will share examples of how the tool has been used to advocate for environmental protection and climate adaptation, where other environmental justice screening and mapping (EJSM) tools have fallen short. The session will conclude with a discussion of the limitations of the HEJTT’s tool and ways in which the tool can be improved. The panelists will also discuss the opportunities for using the new tool to build partnerships between HBCUs, community-based organizations, and policymakers, to advocate for the effective delivery of Justice 40 benefits to overburdened and disadvantaged communities.

1D: Writing for Green and Nakodo: Navigating the Grant Process | FB | Youtube
● Aaron Rome, Co-Founder, Writing for Green
● Courtenay Strickland, Co-Founder, Writing for Green
● Robert Kabera, Founder & CEO, Arebak LLC

Description: It is a unique moment for environmental and climate justice organizations. The Justice40 Initiative has unlocked unprecedented amounts of federal funding for environmental justice work; however, several accessibility issues and barriers exist to this funding. Further, this moment is not guaranteed to last, making it crucial to leverage these resources quickly. To do so, these barriers in the grantmaking process must be efficiently and effectively addressed. This session highlights two pioneers in this work, Writing for Green and Nakodo. Writing for Green (WFG) equips emerging and existing community-based organizations, and leaders, with the tools and know-how to secure funding for their environmental justice work. They accomplish this through an asset-based training and coaching system, designed to maximize the impact of leaders’ work. WFG’s participatory training modules are designed to help clients develop the wide range of competencies necessary for effective grant-fundraising – how to use storytelling in persuasive writing; managing workflow across a proposal preparation team; creating and presenting sound budgets and evaluation plans; and more. Nakodo will be a dynamically-updating matchmaking tool that searches the web and recommends highly personalized funding resources to grant-seekers. The tool will also be a resource for grant-makers, providing them with a mechanism to quickly identify and vet highly qualified potential grantees that match their interests and funding criteria. NAKODO, in its final form, will be a ‘smart funding matching tool’ which shows the right user the right funding at the right time, will greatly reduce the amount of time needed to identify good matches, and will dynamically update each organization’s “persona” so that grantseekers can easily find them.

In this session, panelists from Writing For Green and Nakodo will speak about their unique products, services, successes, and major impacts thus far. They will also discuss their synergies, and the collaborative efforts undertaken to address challenges and burdens in the grant process. Thus, attendees will also learn about the funding landscape for environmental and climate justice organizations in the US and internationally, the challenges faced by frontline organizations, and proposed solutions to overcome these challenges.

1E: Environmental Justice, Cumulative Impacts, and Environmental Decision-Making II:
Lessons Learned from State and Local Government Cumulative Impacts Permitting Experience | FB | Youtube
● Charles Lee, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of Environmental Justice, US Environmental Protection Agency (moderator)
● Kristie Ellickson, Kendall Fellow, Center for Science and Democracy, Union of Concerned Scientists
● Sasha Lewis-Norelle, Environmental Health and Justice Organizer, Clean Water Action (MN), Communidades Organizando el Poder y la Accion Latina (COPAL MN)
● Megan Cunningham, Deputy Commissioner, Chicago Department of Public Health
● Sean Moriarty, Deputy Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP)

Description: Significant advances are being made in assessing and addressing cumulative impacts. These have taken place mostly at the state and local government levels and will drive the discourse about cumulative impacts regulatory strategies in profound ways. The examples featured in this session are unprecedented and historic in nature (i.e., Minnesota’s first-in-the-nation cumulative levels and effects analysis for air permits, New Jersey’s landmark cumulative impacts law and regulations, and Chicago’s analysis of the RMG/General Iron permit using Health Impact Assessment and subsequent citywide work to assess and address cumulative impacts). Panelists will discuss lessons learned from their important work, some of which provide important markers for a roadmap to advance this work.

1F: National Academy of Medicine: Discussion on Climate Change Grand Challenge | FB | Youtube
● Shaneah Taylor, Deputy Director of Programs, National Academy of Medicine (moderator)
● Grace Robbins, Associate Program Officer, National Academy of Medicine
● Olufunmilayo Chinekezi, Program Officer, National Academy of Medicine
● Chris Hanley, Director, Grand Challenge on Climate Change, Human Health, and Equity, National Academy of Medicine
● Arielle Wharton, Climate Change Specialist, CEEJH and Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland

Description: The National Academy of Medicine’s (NAM) Grand Challenge on Climate Change, Human Health, and Equity (Climate Grand Challenge) is embarking on a journey to transform systems that both contribute to and are impacted by climate change. This journey includes the formation of the Climate Communities Network (CCN), a new initiative composed of leaders (“CCN Members”) who work for community-based organizations in U.S. communities that are disproportionately impacted by climate change and climate-related health inequities. The NAM will be co-designing a process with CCN Members that will amplify their expertise, experience, and efforts to address the structural drivers of climate-related health inequities within local communities.

During this session, panelists will provide an overview of the Climate Grand Challenge and dive more deeply into the vision and plans for the CCN. Panelists will reflect on the process of launching the CCN, including lessons learned thus far, as well as share their aspirations for what the CCN can accomplish through Member leadership. Panelists will also highlight novel research, led by a team from the University of Maryland’s own Center for Community Engagement, Environmental Justice, and Health that directly informed and will continue to influence the CCN’s development.

Lunchtime Keynote | 12:30 P.M. - 1:20 P.M.

Topic: People, Power, and Politics: The Fight for Justice in Tennessee | FB | Youtube
● Justin J. Pearson, State Representative, District 86, Tennessee

Concurrent Sessions II | 1:30 P.M. - 2:45 P.M.

2A: Unmasking Environmental Injustice: How Low-Cost Sensors, Weather, and Satellite Data Are Revealing the True Cost of Pollution | FB | Youtube
● Vivek Ravichandran, PhD Student, CEEJH and Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland (moderator)
● Teresa V. Espy, Chief Operating Officer, Diamond Scientific
● Sally E. Pusede, Associate Professor, Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia
● Susan Annenberg, Professor, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University
● Eben Cross, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer, QuantAQ

Description: High concentrations of particulate matter (PM) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the air lead to poor air quality, posing significant risks to human health. Allergies, respiratory problems, and cardiovascular issues are exacerbated by this pollution, resulting in excess mortality among vulnerable populations. These risks are particularly pronounced in communities with chronic exposure to air pollutants from industrial sources and during events like wildfires. Additionally, extreme heat events, such as heatwaves, and the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect in urban areas further compound the adverse health effects. Research indicates that the UHI effect worsens air quality by increasing the concentration of certain pollutants like ozone and nitrogen oxides. To address these challenges, an effective monitoring system is essential. This system should focus on measuring temperature and PM levels in real-time and generating high-resolution maps. Low-cost real-time air monitoring networks and advancements in Internet of Things (IoT) technology have empowered urban planners, policymakers, and public health practitioners to gather crucial data. This data helps in creating measures to protect communities from environmental hazards like air pollution and heat islands, strengthening resilience.

During this session, experts in exposure assessment and low-cost sensor manufacturers will discuss how air quality and meteorological data can be leveraged to better understand the health impacts faced by overburdened communities.

2B: Use of Climate Action Hubs to Advance Climate Justice, Equity, and Health | FB | Youtube
● Cicely Garrett, Co-Executive Director, National Black Food and Justice Alliance
● Sierra Mahseelah, Climate Hub Program Director, Wildlife & Fisheries Department
Salish Kootenai College
● Aradhna Tripati, Professor and Director, Center of Diverse Leadership in Science, UCLA
● Sacoby Wilson, Director, Community Engagement, Environmental Justice, and Health (CEEJH), School of Public Health, University of Maryland

The Waverley Street Foundation has funded climate action hubs at institutions and organizations across the country including HBCUs. These hubs represent dynamic and collaborative platforms that transcend traditional boundaries, uniting community leaders from various sectors to drive interconnected efforts towards climate justice, equity, and improved health outcomes. By harnessing the power of community engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, and localized action, climate action hubs are reshaping the landscape of environmental advocacy, offering a promising avenue to tackle complex issues holistically.

In this session, panelists will delve into the innovative concept of climate action hubs and their transformative potential in advancing climate justice, equity, and health on the local, state and national scales. Attendees will gain valuable insights into how these hubs can serve as epicenters of sustainable change, fostering inclusive decision-making processes that amplify the voices of marginalized populations. Through the exploration of real-world success stories from panelists who lead, assist, and collaborate with climate action hubs, attendees will discover how climate action hubs can inpower communities to address environmental and climate justice issues, drive resiliency, improve public health and lead communities toward a more equitable future.

2C: Climate Politics: Environmental Justice, Hurricanes, and Extreme Heat | FB | Youtube
● Arielle Wharton, Climate Change Specialist, CEEJH and Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland (moderator)
● Hilton Kelley, Activist, Founder, Community In-power, and Development Association (CIDA)
● Kathrine Egland, Chair, NAACP Board Environmental and Climate Justice Committee
● Adriana Gonzalez, Environmental Justice Organizer (Puerto Rico), Sierra Club
● Garrett Auzenne, Senior Policy Counsel, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr.

Description: The Gulf Coast of the United States and the Caribbean, are two regions of the world where vulnerable populations experience differential impacts from environmental hazards and climate-related disasters. The Gulf Coast faces the dual challenge of hurricanes and escalating heat events. As we approach the 18th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, a devastating event that resulted in over 1,800 fatalities and approximately $125 billion in damages, the region is reminded of the enduring impacts of such catastrophic storms. Moreover, the region grapples with the intensifying frequency and severity of extreme heat waves, with record highs in Houston and New Orleans. In the Caribbean, the impacts of Hurricane Maria on the islands of Dominica, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands are still felt today. Ranked as the third-costliest tropical storm on record, Maria left Puerto Rico and the Caribbean reeling with widespread homelessness and tragic loss of life. Meanwhile, the second anniversary of Hurricane Fiona serves as a reminder of its impact, causing a complete power outage in Puerto Rico and resulting in over US $2 billion in damages to the grid. These events underscore the urgent need for climate action plans that center equity, justice, and resilience.

During this session, panelists will provide attendees with an overview of the short-term and long-term impacts of climate disasters like heat waves and hurricanes on vulnerable populations including resulting public health issues, displacement, and climate gentrification. Panelists will compare and contrast response and recovery efforts in the Gulf Coast and the Caribbean to help attendees gain a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness between the struggles of those impacted by climate disasters in the Gulf Coast and the Caribbean particularly in Puerto Rico. Panelists will share innovative policies, initiatives, and programs designed to bolster community resilience and strengthen infrastructure in both the Gulf Coast and Puerto Rico. Attendees will hear how these collective endeavors can play a crucial role in averting comparable devastating consequences of climate change faced by residents in both regions.

2D: EPA’s Efforts to Advance Environmental Justice: Year in Review | FB | Youtube
● Kristi Fedinick, Associate Research Professor, Milken Institute, School of Public Health, The George Washington University (moderator)
● Matt Tejada, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Environmental Justice, US EPA
● Katy Hansen, Senior Technical Assistance Specialist, Office of Water, US EPA
● Chris Frey, Assistant Administrator, Office of Research and Development, US EPA
● Cliff Villa, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Land and Emergency Management, US EPA
● Marianne Engelman Lado, Deputy General Counsel of Environmental Initiatives, US EPA

Description: Under new Administrator Michael S. Regan, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has had a renewed focus on environmental justice. For the first time, EPA’s final Strategic Plan includes a new strategic goal focused solely on addressing climate change and an unprecedented goal to advance environmental justice and external civil rights compliance. EPA’s Strategic Plan deepens the agency's commitment to protecting human health and the environment for all people, with an emphasis on historically overburdened and underserved communities. In July 2021, EPA received Interim Guidance to support implementation of Justice40. Since the establishment of pilot programs, EPA has expanded the number of applicable programs to include programs funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) that match the criteria for Justice40. EPA is also in the process of developing benefit methodologies to track and report the benefits going toward disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution. In April 2023, President Biden signed Executive Order 14096 - Revitalizing our Nation's Commitment to Environmental Justice for All, strengthening its commitment to deliver environmental justice through an approach that is informed by scientific research, high-quality data, and meaningful Federal engagement with communities with environmental justice concerns. The strategic plan, along with cross-agency collaboration with other Federal entities, as well as stakeholders, has led to a plethora of environmental justice success stories, but has also presented barriers.

This session will highlight the EPA’s initiatives and accomplishments in promoting environmental justice over the past year. Panelists will discuss the creation of the historic Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights (OEJECR), which will dedicate more than 200 EPA staff in EPA headquarters and across 10 regions towards solving environmental challenges in communities that have been underserved for far too long. Through a review of key policies, programs, and partnerships, this session will also showcase the agency's efforts to advance environmental justice principles, prioritize vulnerable populations, and tackle cumulative impacts. Participants will gain insights into the progress made, challenges faced, and future strategies planned by the EPA Offices of Environmental Justice, Water, Research and Development, and Land and Emergency Management.

2E: Say Her Name: Roe v. Wade and Reproductive Justice | FB | Youtube
● Blean Girma, PhD Student, CEEJH, Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland (moderator)
● Jacqueline Patterson, Founder and Executive Director, The Chisholm Legacy Project
● Kimala Price, Professor and Department Chair, San Diego State University
● Adrienne Hollis, Vice President, National Wildlife Federation
● Tianna Shaw Wakeman, Environmental Justice Program Lead, Black Women for Wellness
Description: Roe v. Wade, a landmark legal decision handed down by the United States Supreme Court on January 22, 1973, fundamentally altered the landscape of reproductive rights in the country. However, the landscape of reproductive rights took a dramatic turn on June 24, 2022, when the Supreme Court made the highly controversial decision to overrule the long-standing precedent of Roe v. Wade. The reversal of Roe v. Wade placed many women's right to make choices about their own bodies in jeopardy and ignited discussions about the impact on marginalized communities, who may face even greater challenges in accessing reproductive healthcare services. Furthermore, the connection between reproductive justice and environmental justice highlights the broader implications of such legal decisions. A safe and healthy environment is crucial for individuals to make informed decisions about their reproductive health. Environmental factors, such as exposure to pollutants and toxins, can have a significant impact on reproductive health outcomes. Thus, ensuring both reproductive and environmental justice is vital for the well-being of all individuals and communities.

During this session, panelists will discuss how the differential marketing of personal and beauty products containing harmful chemicals, such as phthalates and parabens, contributes to health disparities and reproductive health challenges within marginalized communities. In addition, panelists will explore the reasons behind disproportionately high maternal mortality rates in these communities and consider how recent developments may exacerbate this issue. Furthermore, panelists will examine the historical and modern-day criminalization of women's bodies, especially those of women of color, and discuss its far-reaching implications for reproductive rights and justice. Additionally, the panel will highlight ongoing efforts at the state level aimed at undermining women's right to choose and assess their impact on both environmental justice and reproductive justice. Through inclusive and well-informed dialogue, our goal is to deepen our understanding of the multifaceted challenges that individuals in overburdened communities face as they strive to create healthy and thriving families within environments impacted by both reproductive and environmental injustices.

Concurrent Sessions III | 3:00 P.M. - 4:15 P.M.

3A: Environmental Justice and Indigenous Peoples Session II: First Foods Mission | FB | Youtube
● Colleen Sanders, Climate Adaptation Planner, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), Department of Natural Resources
● Wenix Red Elk, Public Outreach and Education Specialist, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), Department of Natural Resources

Description: First Foods, the culturally important plants and animals of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), are at the center of the Tribe’s climate adaptation and environmental justice efforts. Since time immemorial, the First Foods have promised themselves to the Tribal people in a reciprocal relationship that has persisted for over 10,000 in lands now known as Northeast Oregon and Southeast Washington. The First Foods Mission has guided the work of CTUIR’s Dept of Natural Resources, and the work of the Tribal government as a whole, since 2006. Relationships between Tribal people and First Foods have survived thousands of years of change and are the foundation of the emerging need to adapt to a rapidly changing climate. Through the lens of First Foods, climate adaptation is inextricably tangled with extractive land use and management, historic and ongoing Tribal dispossession of lands and waters, and larger food justice and access issues. CTUIR climate adaptation places global colonialism and its ongoing injustice alongside other root causes of the climate crisis.

In this session, CTUIR Public Outreach and Education Specialist Wenix Red Elk and Climate Adaptation Planner Colleen Sanders provide an understanding of the First Foods Mission, and examples of how CTUIR’s climate adaptation efforts prioritize Tribal community access to ancestral lands, knowledge and skills for harvesting and preparing First Foods, and continuing to keep the promise to the First Foods into an uncertain future, by any means and mechanisms available.

3B: Environmental Justice Barriers and Solution Pathways: Learning From Community Leadership | FB | Youtube
● Desmond Johnnie, Community Engagement Associate, Clean Air Task Force (moderator)
● Pete Atcitty, Senior Manager, Former Council Delegate, Shiprock Chapter of the Navajo Nation, Tribal Government Relations, Public Service of New Mexico
● Phil Jordan, Vice President, BW Research
● Sharon Lavigne, Founder & Director, Rise St. James, Louisiana
● Maria Lopez-Nunez, Deputy Director, Organizing and Advocacy, Ironbound Community Corporation

Description: Numerous federal initiatives have emerged to address environmental injustice, ranging from White House Executive Orders to the U.S. Department of Energy’s requirement that all funding opportunity announcements, and BIL and IRA funding applications include Community Benefits Plans to the New Jersey Environmental Justice law. And there are a range of federal benefits and services related to access to emergency services, food scarcity, and job programs. But there can be major disconnects associated with implementing these initiatives at the government level, as well as in the academic and private sector. These disconnects can include: (1) how federal and state programs more effectively ensure communities have access to interpreters, internet access, and distribution/dissemination access; (2) what communities are seeking in terms of capacity and support; and (3) why workforce programs do not always produce jobs?

In this session, leaders from diverse communities will share their experience on barriers and how their organizations foster solutions to challenges of community residents. The session will have two discussion topics: (1) EJ communities have significant challenges, but they shouldn’t and don’t define these communities; instead, they have vibrant and sacred cultures and have also achieved incredible successes. Can you share a few words about your community? (2) Over the past 2 and ½ years, numerous government environmental justice initiatives have been announced and implemented. However, the disconnect between government and communities is itself a barrier. This discussion will highlight how community leaders are addressing pathways overcoming these barriers.

3C: Environmental Justice and Air Quality Monitoring in Washington, DC | FB | Youtube
● T’Shari White, Education Coordinator, CEEJH and Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland (moderator)
● Davida Herzl, Co-Founder & CEO, Aclima
● Kane Samuel, Data Analyst, Air Quality Division, Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE), Washington, DC
● Sebrena Rhodes, ANC Vice Chair, Ward 5, Community Organizer Empower DC, Ivy City Resident
● Preshona Ambri, Communications Coordinator, DC Environmental Justice Coalition

Description: As the needs of longstanding communities in Washington, DC, such as Ivy City and Brentwood, continue to be disregarded in favor of competing financial interests held by the district's leadership, these marginalized and underserved communities are disproportionately burdened by significant air pollution levels. This has led to higher rates of asthma compared to the rest of the city. Substantiated evidence reveals that residents of Ivy City face exposure to elevated levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) that exceed readings recorded at the nearest United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) monitoring station. Such prolonged exposure even places Ivy City at risk of surpassing the EPA's annual PM2.5 limit. Remarkably, more than 50% of the industrial facilities in Washington D.C. are sited in Ward 5, where Brentwood is situated. This concentration of industrial activity has raised concerns among residents who assert that the city has permitted unchecked pollution from these industries over an extended period. Over the past decade, grassroots organizations like Empower DC and the Ivy City Civic Association have exhibited unwavering dedication in their efforts to empower and uplift these communities, with the goal of effecting positive change and improving living conditions.

In this session, we will be joined by speakers from DC-based grassroots organizations, including Empower DC and the DC Environmental Justice Coalition. We will also have representation from industry and government to address current environmental justice issues concerning air quality in Washington, DC, discuss the efforts that have been made to rectify these issues, and explore the potential for progress in the near future. Additionally, we will hear from Aclima, an organization actively developing innovative solutions to capture high-resolution data on air quality throughout DC; data that impacted residents can use to advocate for new policies to address environmental injustice and air pollution inequities in often overlooked communities within the District.

3D: INpowerment Science and Liberation Science: Workshop and Discussion | FB | Youtube
● Sacoby Wilson, Director, Community Engagement, Environmental Justice, and Health (CEEJH), School of Public Health, University of Maryland
Description: Liberation Science challenges the traditional anti-Black, imperialistic, capitalistic, patriarchal, and White supremacist approaches to science in order to solve environmental, climate, and energy injustices. This commitment is central to the need to expose and understand how systems of domination inform our current environmental, climate, and energy justice struggles and thus, develop alternative paths of resistance rooted in liberation. “Liberation” is a daily practice and a commitment to the radical transformation of ourselves, our community, structures, systems, and to justice and love. In this workshop, attendees will learn about approaches, strategies, and perspectives for how we can organize within and outside of academia to address the root causes of environmental, climate, and energy injustices and build toward collective liberation. Attendees will hear about lessons learned and best practices that can be implemented and scaled to transform the research enterprise, so it is more applied, community-driven, justice-focused, and action oriented.

Closing Plenary | 4:30 P.M. - 5:45 P.M.

Environmental Justice and Economic INpowerment: There’s EJ Gold Up in Dem Hills | FB | Youtube
● Sacoby Wilson, Director, Community Engagement, Environmental Justice, and Health (CEEJH), School of Public Health, University of Maryland (moderator)
● Mustafa Ali, Executive Vice President, National Wildlife Federation (NWF)
● Jacqui Patterson, Founder, Executive Director, The Chisholm Legacy Project
● Vernice Travis-Miller, Vice-President, The Metropolitan Group
● Michelle DePass, Executive Director, Upside Tech Alliance
Description: Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the Federal Government has made a significant commitment to address environmental, climate, and energy injustices in this country. From Executive Order 14096, Revitalizing Our Nation's Commitment to Environmental Justice for All, Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity And Support For Underserved Communities Through The Federal Government and Executive Order 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad to the billions of dollar in funding available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. Frontline and fenceline communities would like to see significant investments in clean water and sanitation, clean energy, climate resilience, public transit, tackling legacy pollution in American history by cleaning up Superfund and brownfield sites, etc. However, with the new funding to finally help address decades of environmental degradation, infrastructure problems, economic inequality, and health inequities in overburdened and underserved communities, there comes the risk of organizations jumping into the environmental justice space, usurping funding, when they had historically been EJ antagonists and EJ deniers. This form of exploitation and environmental colonialism can be considered racial capitalism and EJ tourism, where financial gains are made at the expense of communities of color and other marginalized groups without truly advancing environmental justice, without truly addressing the plight, concerns, challenges of frontline and fenceline communities. This is unethical and antithetical to the 17 Principles of Environmental Justice, to the principles of Representative Justice, Distributional Justice, and Restorative Justice.

In this session, leading environmental justice voices will discuss the issues of inpowerment and liberation and the negative consequences of EJ tourism during the EJ gold rush. Panelists will provide examples of EJ tourists and speculators who are only jumping into the EJ space because there is money involved (i.e., dollars available through the BIL, IRA, and increases in funding from the philanthropic sector). Panelists will discuss the history of anti-environmental justice activism and neglect of EJ concerns by green groups, academia, corporate sector, and others and how we can ensure that (1) these newly funded projects and initiatives are driven by authentic voices in the EJ movement and (2) frontline and fenceline communities receive the co-benefits and opportunity created by these financial investments. Panelists will discuss how new groups to the EJ space can authentically and meaningfully work with grassroots organizations, EJ advocates, and frontline and fenceline communities. The session will conclude with a discussion on strategies, approaches, and best practices that should be employed in the fight for economic inpowerment and liberation for frontline and fenceline communities during this EJ gold rush.

Speaker Bios

Faith Based Breakfast | 8:00 A.M. - 9:30 A.M.
● Reverend Heber Brown III, Founder & CEO, Black Church Food Security Network

Opening Plenary | 10:00 A.M. - 11:00 A.M.

EPA Region III Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center (TCTAC): Launch, Overview, and Discussion (Grand Ballroom)
● Sacoby Wilson, Director, Community Engagement, Environmental Justice, and Health (CEEJH), School of Public Health, University of Maryland (moderator)

Description: The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working to address environmental, public health, and energy challenges affecting communities, specifically historically underserved and adversely impacted by environmental racism, persistent poverty, inequality, and lack of funding and resources. Consistent with EPA’s mission and Administrative priorities in collaboration with the US Department of Energy, the EPA sought applications from eligible entities to establish and operate Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTAC). The EJ TCTACs will provide technical assistance to overburdened, underserved, rural, remote, and resource-constrained communities seeking to address local environmental and energy justice issues. The TCTACs will help communities build capacity to navigate federal grant application systems, write strong grant proposals, manage grant funding, and secure financing for clean energy projects. Additionally, the TCTACs will provide support in outreach and engagement, building partnerships, and developing programming to assist with the clean energy transition needed to advance environmental and energy justice. Recently, the National Wildlife Federation, the Center for Community Engagement, Environmental Justice, and Health (CEEJH) with other partners were awarded a $12 million grant to lead the EPA Region III TCTAC. Over the five year project period, the Region III TCTAC team will provide much-needed services to help communities throughout the Mid-Atlantic region assess and address local environmental and energy justice issues.

This session will act as a launch for the EPA Region III TCTAC. Dr. Sacoby Wilson (CEEJH Director and Region III TCTAC Co-Director) will facilitate a discussion with Region III TCTAC partners. The audience will have an opportunity to meet TCTAC partners from the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), UMD Environmental Finance Center (EFC), Centro De Apoyo Familiar (CAF), Empower DC, Sentinels of Eastern Shore Health (SESH), Sussex Environmental Health Network (SEHN), South Baltimore Community Land Trust (SBCLT), the Overbrook Environmental Education Center, Morgan State University, and West Virginia State University. Panelists will discuss the launch, short-term plans, and provide an overview of what to expect in the coming years. Attendees will be able to ask questions about the TCTAC including how they can receive technical assistance and capacity building support to address their local environmental and energy justice issues.

Concurrent Sessions I | 11:15 A.M. - 12:30 P.M.

1A: MATCH/TCTAC Meet & Greet (Grand Ballroom/Grand Ballroom Lounge)
● Pamela R. Bingham, Operations Manager, CEEJH, University of Maryland (moderator)
● Walkiria Pool, President and Founder, Centro de Apoyo Familiar (CAF)
● Parisa Norouzi, Executive Director, Empower DC
● Jerome Shabazz, Overbrook Environmental Education Center
● Maria Payan, Co-Founder, Sentinels of Eastern Shore Health (SESH)
● Michael Payan, Co-Founder, Sussex Health and Environmental Network (SHEN)
● Adrienne Hollis, Vice President, Environmental Justice, Climate and Community Revitalization, Conservation, National Wildlife Federation (NWF)
● Mark Barnes, Associate Professor, History & Geography, Morgan State University
● Adam Hodges, Community and Economic Development, West Virginia State University
● Queen Zakia Shabazz, Founder, United Parents Against Lead (UPAL)
● Asada Rashidi, South Ward Environmental Alliance (SWEA)

Description: Founded in 2023 with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and led by CEEJH, the Mid-Atlantic Climate Action Hub (MATCH) is an initiative addressing the effects of environmental racism and climate change across the Mid-Atlantic region through training and advocacy. MATCH partners (Centro de Apoyo Familiar (CAF), Sentinels of Eastern Shore Health (SESH), Sussex Environmental Health Network (SHEN), South Baltimore Community Land Trust (SBCLT), the Overbrook Center, Empower DC, United Parents Against Lead (UPAL), the South Ward Environmental Alliance (SWEA), and the UMD Environmental Finance Center (EFC)) will work with communities that are disproportionately experiencing negative effects of climate change because of historic disenfranchisement and underlying social, economic and geographic vulnerabilities. In April 2023, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced 17 Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (TCTACs) to provide technical assistance and capacity building support to communities experiencing environmental and energy justice issues. A team of the National Wildlife Federation, the Center for Community Engagement, Environmental Justice, and Health (CEEJH), and other groups was awarded a $12 million grant to lead the EPA Region III TCTAC, which includes Maryland, Washington, DC, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and West Virginia. Core partners on the TCTAC include CAF, SESH, SHEN, SBCLT, the Overbrook Center, Empower DC, the UMD EFC, Morgan State University, and West Virginia State University.

In this session, partners from MATCH and the EPA Region III TCTAC will share their work on environmental, climate, and energy justice issues. They will discuss the two projects, opportunities for synergy, opportunities to collaborate, and challenges and barriers to success of achieving the complementary goals and objectives of each project. Non-partner attendees will learn how to access resources and infrastructure available through MATCH and the EPA Region III TCTAC.

1B: Environmental Justice, Air Pollution, and Health Issues in South Baltimore, MD (Margaret Brent A)
● Vivek Ravichandran, PhD Student, CEEJH and Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland (moderator)
● Shashawnda Campbell, Environmental Justice Coordinator, South Baltimore Community Land Trust, and Co-Founder, “Free Your Voice”
● Greg Sawtell, Director, Zero Waste Just Transition, South Baltimore Community Land Trust
● Meleny Thomas, Co-founder, South Baltimore Community Land Trust
● Christina Delgado, Director, Community Engagement, Greater Baybrook Alliance
● Marvin Hayes, Founder & Director, Baltimore Compost Collective
● Nicole Fabricant, Professor of Anthropology, Towson University, Author of Fighting to Breathe

Description: South Baltimore is home to a number of communities including Curtis Bay, Brooklyn, and Cherry Hill that experience the daily impacts of environmental, climate, and energy injustice. Due to redlining, disinvestment, and inequities in planning and development, these South Baltimore neighborhoods have been used as sacrifice zones for industrial corridors, goods movement, dirty energy production, and waste management. Some of the environmental hazards in South Baltimore include a trash-to-energy incinerator, a medical waste incinerator, numerous oil, gas, and coal processing facilities, one of the largest coal exporting ports in the United States, and many more significant mobile, line, and stationary sources of pollution. Fortunately, local grassroots organizations have formed to fight against environmental racism and injustice in South Baltimore while pushing for fair development and clean energy solutions.

In this session, panelists from the South Baltimore Community Land Trust (SBCLT), Greater Baybrook Alliance, the youth entrepreneurship program Baltimore Compost Collective, and Towson University will discuss environmental justice and health issues that impact local neighborhoods. Panelists will describe partnerships with local researchers to understand exposure issues and health impacts associated with environmental injustice in South Baltimore. In addition, panelists will discuss their fight for equity and justice for impacted residents and discuss community-centered strategies and solutions that should be implemented to transform South Baltimore into a healthier, greener, and more just community.

1C: Environmental Justice Report Back from Environmental Agencies in the Mid-Atlantic (Juan Jimenez)
● T’Shari White, Education Coordinator, CEEJH and Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland (moderator)
● Chris Hoagland, Director, Air and Radiation Administration, Maryland Department of the Environment
● Kenneth Ratzman, Air Permitting Assistant Director, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
● Angela Marconi, Director, Delaware Department of Natural Resources
● Danielle Simms, Environmental Justice Program Manager, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
● Hannah Ashenafi, Director, Air Quality Division, Department of Energy & Environment, Washington, DC

Description: The Mid-Atlantic region, specifically Delaware, Maryland, Washington, DC, Virginia, and New Jersey face grave, interconnected challenges, including unemployment, racial and economic inequality, environmental racism, and health inequities. The communities who bear the brunt of these problems have not had much of a say in what the solutions should look like. This has led to responses that are inadequate and, sometimes, extractive and exploitative. Therefore, it is hard to overstate the importance of appointed and elected officials engaging in open dialogue with community members--particularly when we are talking about environmental, social, and economic justice issues. Such has been the case with the Maryland Department of the Environment’s Air and Radiation Administration, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Air Quality and Radiation Protection, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, and the Air Quality Division at the District of Columbia’s Department of Energy & Environment, just to name a few.

In this session, panelists will discuss the work of their agency to advance environmental, climate, and energy justice in their home states. They will describe their strategic plans including vision, goals, and objectives. In addition, panelists will provide a report on actions, policies, and initiatives to advance environmental, climate, and energy justice and racial and health equity that they have recommended or implemented over the past year. Furthermore, panelists will describe challenges and successes in implementing recommendations at the state level and explain lessons learned and best practices for navigating politics, the policymaking process, and “EJ Antagonists” and anti-health organizations in their home states. Finally, they will share future plans and strategies to sustain progress and scale positive impacts across their state and the Mid-Atlantic region.

1D: Environmental Justice and Children’s Health in the Mid-Atlantic (Charles Carroll)
● Kathy Attar, Toxics Program Manager, Children’s Environmental Health Network (moderator)
● Roxana Amaya Fuentes, Senior Program Associate, Children’s Environmental Health Network
● Erica Phillips, Executive Director, National Association of Family Child Care
● Amanda Reddy, Executive Director, National Center for Healthy Housing
● Rhea Goswami, Founder and Executive Director, Environmental Justice Coalition (EJC)
● Catherine Callinan, Senior, Biotechnology High School

Description: Environmental justice (EJ) communities refer to marginalized racial/ethnic, low-income, rural, immigrant, and indigenous populations living in areas disproportionately burdened by environmental hazards, unhealthy land uses, psychosocial stressors, and historical traumas. Unfortunately, children in these communities often face higher exposure to environmental risks than adults, and they are frequently excluded from discussions concerning their own future. The purpose of this session is to shine a spotlight on the unique challenges encountered by children and their families in low-income and marginalized communities as they grapple with the impacts of environmental, climate, and energy injustices. The aim is to provide attendees with a comprehensive understanding of the interconnectedness between environmental justice, children's health, and climate action in the Mid-Atlantic region. Through discussion, this session intends to identify children's unique vulnerabilities, current programs addressing children's environmental health in learning environments, and actionable steps toward creating more equitable and sustainable solutions that prioritize the well-being of children and ensure a healthier future for generations to come. The session will feature insights from early learning professionals, environmental health advocates and youth leaders from the mid-Atlantic region.

1E: Fighting for Food Sovereignty in the Mid-Atlantic (Margaret Brent B)
● Nicole Jackson, Principal Sustainability Consultant, Monarch Professional Services Group (Monarch PSG) (moderator)
● Tiffany FitzGerald, Executive Director, DC Greens
● Boneeta Adeeb, President and Founder, STEAM Onward, and President, Ujamaa Farms
● Farmer Nell, City Weeds Baltimore
● Lucecita Cruz, Founder, Cuir Kitchen Brigade

Description: Research on the food environment paints a concerning picture of inequality: low-income neighborhoods, urban areas, and predominantly African-American communities face significant barriers to accessing healthy food compared to more affluent, suburban, or predominantly White neighborhoods. This unequal distribution of nutritious food resources leads to the creation of "food deserts" or "food swamps" within segregated urban communities, exacerbated by limited transportation options. Unfortunately, these issues are symptoms of a larger problem – a fractured food system in the United States, often referred to as "food apartheid," which perpetuates widespread food disparities. This lack of access to healthy food infrastructure contributes to obesity and worsens metabolic conditions like diabetes, deepening disparities among different population groups.

In this session, panelists will highlight how food insecurity disproportionately affect youth, young adults, seniors, African American residents, and other vulnerable groups. Additionally, it will showcase the initiatives undertaken by the city and community activists who are dedicated to promoting local food sovereignty as they navigate the complexities of these challenges. Through their stories of successes, obstacles, and lessons learned, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the ongoing efforts in this area. The discussions will revolve around the future of food accessibility in the region, emphasizing the urgent need for increased investments in food sovereignty as a crucial step toward eliminating food injustice in the region.

1F: Legislative Efforts to Advance Environmental Justice in Maryland (Benjamin Banneker A)
● Rebecca Rehr, Director, Climate Policy and Justice, Maryland League of Conservation Voters (moderator)
● David Fraser-Hidalgo, Representative and Chair, Maryland Legislative Latino Caucus
● Arthur Ellis, State Senator, Maryland

Description: Throughout the United States, BIPOC and low-income populations bear the brunt of environmental, climate, and energy injustices, stemming from structural racism, extractive capitalism, segregation, and inadequate regulatory enforcement. Recognizing the significance of addressing these disparities, federal and state legislators have been increasingly proactive in developing and advocating for new legislation. In the Mid-Atlantic region, states like Maryland have taken significant strides by passing progressive climate change legislation. Maryland's Climate Solutions Now Act, enacted in 2022, stands as one of the most forward-looking bills in the nation, prioritizing greenhouse gas emissions reduction and addressing climate justice concerns.

This session brings together legislators from Maryland to delve into their ongoing efforts to confront environmental, climate, and energy justice issues. They will share successes, challenges, and lessons learned from their endeavors. The panelists will also discuss the potential impact of President Biden's Justice 40 Initiative and Inflation Reduction Act in Maryland and their endeavors to create legislation that maximizes the positive impact of this legislation for disadvantaged communities and address environmental, climate, and energy justice concerns. By doing so, they aim to avoid federal pitfalls and ensure the sustainability of proposed measures found in federal legislation. Delegate Fraser-Hidalgo will discuss the importance of the Ambient Air Monitoring Bill, which would have set up a network of air quality monitors around the state and started a study on how to incorporate that data into future permitting decisions. Arthur Ellis will discuss the Environmental Justice Screening bill, which would require the use of MD EJSCREEN within permitting decisions. Lastly, the session will provide an opportunity for frontline and fence line communities to engage with the panelists directly, sharing their environmental justice concerns and legislative priorities.

Lunchtime Plenary | 12:30 P.M. - 1:45 P.M.

30 Years of the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC): Pollution, People, and Power (Grand Ballroom)
● Sacoby Wilson, Director, Community Engagement, Environmental Justice, and Health (CEEJH), School of Public Health, University of Maryland (moderator)
● Sylvia Orduno, Member, Advisory Council on Environmental Justice, State of Michigan
● Deeohn Ferris, President, Institute for Sustainable Communities, Yale School of the Environment
● Charles Lee, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of Environmental Justice, US EPA
● Omega and Brenda Wilson, West End Revitalization Association (WERA), Mebane, NC

Description: The National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC), established in 1993 as a federal advisory committee to the EPA, has played a critical role in advising and making recommendations on a wide range of environmental justice issues. The council acts as a forum for diverse stakeholders (grassroots advocates, local government, business/industry, academia, and tribal/indigenous groups) involved in environmental justice discussions, offering insights to integrate environmental justice with EPA priorities and initiatives. Operating independently, the NEJAC evaluates strategic, scientific, regulatory, and community-related matters to provide advice to the EPA Administrator. Its primary objectives encompass integrating environmental justice into agency programs, improving conditions in disproportionately impacted communities, promoting inclusive decision-making, fostering collaborative problem-solving, strengthening partnerships with other governmental bodies, and advancing research and assessment methodologies concerning environmental justice.

In this lunchtime session, panelists across the vast history of NEJAC will converge and discuss the early days of the NEJAC in the 1990s, and its evolution from 1990s to the 2020s. In addition, panelists will describe the challenges that the NEJAC has confronted over the years and how these challenges have changed as well as discuss the positive impact that the NEJAC has had on advancing environmental justice within the EPA, across the other federal agencies, as well as across each part of the United States. Panelists will share stories and provide key insight on what’s worked for NEJAC, what can be improved, and what are some lessons learned working in the EJ field within the last 30 years. Finally, panelists will describe the NEJAC’s current role within the Biden-Harris administration and vision, goals, and objectives for the NEJAC moving forward as the people’s voice to the EPA on EJ issues across the country.

Concurrent Sessions II | 2:00 P.M. - 3:15 P.M.

2A: EPA Region 3 Environmental Finance Center (EFC): Introduction, Partnerships and Opportunities (Charles Carroll A)
● Michelle Kokolis, Program Manager, Environmental Finance Center (EFC), University of Maryland (moderator)
● Natalia Sanchez, Program Manager, Environmental Finance Center (EFC), University of Maryland
● Rod Barnes, Town Administrator, Town of Edmonston, MD
● Jacqueline Goodall, Town Manager, Town of North Brentwood, MD

Description: Economically underserved communities, particularly communities of color, often suffer the most from pollution and environmental degradation. The Biden Administration is prioritizing environmental justice with increased funding and federal programs. However, these communities lack the expertise to access these funds. To meet these needs and help these communities access federal and state funding to address water infrastructure needs, the EPA has designated regional Water Infrastructure EFCs throughout the country, including the University of Maryland’s EFC (UMD EFC) which has a 30-year track record of empowering communities to address environmental challenges. This session will provide an overview of the WaterTA services offered by the UMD EFC through its designation as the Mid-Atlantic Water Infrastructure EFC and highlight funding opportunities currently available to communities. In addition, attendees will hear from community representatives from the Town of Edmonston and North Brentwood. These representatives will talk about the different ways they have partnered with EFC on projects, including Sustainable Maryland, the Port Towns Walkable Watershed, and Maryland Black Mayors: Getting the MOST out of Stormwater Management projects, and how those partnerships have helped develop and increase local capacity while delivering multiple community benefits including education and engagement opportunities for residents.

2B: MAJC: Where are We Now and Where Do We Need to Go? (Benjamin Banneker A)
● Jay Monteverde, Director, Namati (moderator)
● Walkiria Pool, President, Centro de Apoyo Familiar (CAF)
● Parisa Norouzi, Executive Director, Empower DC
● Anissa Cartagena, Campaign Organizer, Mid-Atlantic Justice Coalition
● Gustavo Angeles, Environmental Justice Program Manager, Sierra Club

Description: The Mid-Atlantic Justice Coalition (MAJC) is a collaborative alliance of nonprofit and community-based organizations spanning Delaware, Maryland, DC, and Virginia. Dedicated to promoting equitable societies with thriving economic prospects and safe environments, the coalition operates under a set of guiding principles. At the core of its mission is amplifying the voices and perspectives of those most affected by social and environmental justice issues. For example, in Washington, DC we have observed higher levels of air pollution and related disparities in Wards 7 and 8 (greater proportion of people of color) compared to other wards. Baltimore, a majority Black city, has more heat-related morbidity deaths between 2012-2018 than any other city in the state. Studies have also found burden and exposure disparities for communities of color in North Delaware and disparities in the burden of industrial chicken farming in Southern Delaware. We also see major disparities in air pollution, heat, and health have also been found in cities throughout Virginia including Richmond. New Jersey has more Superfund sites than any other state in the country with cities like Newark and Camden suffering from years of industrial development, environmental pollution, and disinvestment.

In this session, panelists that represent Centro de Apoyo Familiar, Empower DC, Sierra Club, and the greater MAJC community converge to discuss the goals, objectives, and accomplishments of each organization over the last year. Additionally, attendees will participate in a roundtable style discussion to discuss environmental, climate, and energy justice issues in their home state. Conversations will also be situated around each organization's missions in building commonwealth for communities to enjoy access to clean water and air, promoting self-advocacy of low and moderate income DC residents in order to bring sustained improvements to their local environment, and housing services for low-income Latino and immigrant families and communities. In addition, panelists will discuss their steadfast commitments towards their organizations future to promote transformative change within their local communities and states as well as share their insight on how the greater MAJC can collaborate and leverage information and tools in the next year to reach each organization's goals and objectives.

2C: Enhanced Air Quality Monitoring Under the American Rescue Plan: Greater Cheverly Air Quality Project (Margaret Brent A)
● Vivek Ravichandran, PhD Student, CEEJH and Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland (moderator)
● Megan Ulrich, Assistant Director, Air and Radiation Administration, Maryland Department of the Environment
● Kayce Munyeneh, Mayor, Town of Cheverly (confirmed)
● Karen Moe, Air Quality Monitoring Liaison; Member, Cheverly Green Infrastructure Committee; Retired, NASA Goddard’s Earth Science Technology Office
● Tovoia Young, Seat Pleasant Resident and PurpleAir Host Volunteer

Description: The Greater Cheverly Region, Maryland, is home to various sources of air pollution, both mobile and stationary, including metal and e-waste recycling facilities, concrete block plants, and heavily trafficked roads. However, the nearest federal reference monitors are situated 20 miles away, leaving a critical need for hyperlocal air quality monitoring. To address this issue, the Town of Cheverly and the University of Maryland joined forces in 2019 to establish a hyperlocal air quality network using PurpleAir sensors, specifically targeting the measurement of fine particulate matter (PM2.5). In 2022, the region became the proposed site for the Claybrick Road Bus Terminal project, which sparked protests from nearby communities, Fairmount Heights and Seat Pleasant, as they saw it as an example of state-sanctioned environmental racism. To further enhance the monitoring efforts, the existing community-engaged infrastructure is being expanded to deploy low-cost real-time PurpleAir and C-12 monitors to measure PM and black carbon in the Greater Cheverly Region.

During this session, the panelists will provide insights into the community-university partnership, explaining how they utilized the community-based participatory research (CBPR) framework and community science principles to foster relationships, build trust, and facilitate collaborative decision-making between the community and the University of Maryland. They will also elaborate on the expansion of the community advisory board (CAB), and co-development of a community-based air quality monitoring plan, quality assurance performance plan (QAPP), and Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) to support the development of the hyperlocal air quality monitoring network. Furthermore, the panelists will address the challenges, limitations, lessons learned, best practices, and sustainability efforts associated with this community-based air quality monitoring initiative. The session aims to shed light on the successful partnership between the community and the university in addressing air quality concerns and fostering positive environmental and public health outcomes.

2D: Environmental Justice, Cumulative Impacts, and Environmental Decision-Making III: Progress on Cumulative Impacts in the Mid-Atlantic (Juan Jimenez)
● Naomia Suggs-Brigety, PhD Student, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The George Washington University (moderator)
● Maria Lopez-Nunez, Deputy Director, Organizing and Advocacy, Ironbound Community Corporation
● Raya Salter, Founder & Executive Director, Energy Justice Law and Policy Center
● Willie Scott, Environmental Justice Chair, Vice Chair-Delaware Community Activist, Sierra Club Delaware Chapter

Description: Cumulative impacts (CIs) account for the multiple exposures and protective factors within the total environment. The accumulation of hazards can increase environmental risk, and variables such as socioeconomic status, the built environment, underlying health status, and resource availability can buffer or intensify these impacts. Health disparities and social injustices are brought on by the unequal distribution of environmental burdens, which disproportionately affect low-income and marginalized populations. A set of principles and approaches is emerging for assessing and addressing cumulative impacts, which includes meaningfully engaging communities and incorporate their lived experience through both quantitative and qualitative data; promoting a bias for action; and building systems to operationalize and integrate ways to address cumulative impacts, with a focus on measuring progress and continuous learning.

In this session, panelists working on environmental justice issues will share their perspectives on the issue of cumulative impacts. They will discuss advancements in cumulative impacts legislation and barriers associated with rule development and implementation in the states of New Jersey and New York. Additionally, panelists will discuss the history, challenges, and progress needed to pass cumulative impacts legislation in the states of Maryland and Delaware. Panelists will also share their thoughts about innovative and impactful ways to integrate cumulative impacts in environmental decision-making beyond legislation and discuss any victories that can be replicated and scaled in other parts of the Mid-Atlantic region.

2E: Agency Report Back on Justice 40 in the State of Maryland (Benjamin Banneker B)
● Rebecca Rehr, Director, Climate Policy and Justice, Maryland League of Conservation Voters (moderator)
● Charles Glass, Director, Maryland Environmental Service
● Serena McIlwain, Secretary, Maryland Department of Environment
● Jake Day, Secretary, Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development
● Rebecca L. Flora, Secretary, Maryland Department of Planning

Description: Across the state of Maryland, people of color (POC) and low-wealth populations are differentially burdened by environmental hazards and the cumulative impacts of chemical and non-chemical stressors and structural factors that produce environmental health disparities. This phenomenon is known as environmental injustice and stems from a legacy of racist policy (i.e., Jim Crow policies in the South, exclusionary zoning, racial covenants, redlining). During his first days in office, President Joe Biden signed Executive Order (EO) 14008, which created a government-wide Justice40 Initiative with the goal of delivering 40 percent of the overall benefits of relevant federal investments to disadvantaged communities. In Maryland, state agencies have a responsibility and opportunity to both address past injustices and prevent further harm through strong environmental initiatives. Integration of environmental justice principles into their strategic plans and organizational cultures is a first step in addressing issues that impact overburdened and underserved communities in Maryland. Implementation of a Justice40 initiative at the state level presents an opportunity to tailor investments to the unique local needs of Maryland communities and use micro-targeted language for directing inputs to communities.

In this session, we will hear from leaders in the Maryland Department of the Environment, Environmental Service, and Department of Housing, and Department of Planning on how they are implementing the environmental justice strategy outlined in the Governor’s Transition Plan. They will discuss the efforts of their agencies to integrate the Justice40 framework throughout all of the work of their home agency. By the end of this session, participants will have learned about the environmental justice goals of each agency, progress that state agencies are making in building trust with impacted communities and integrating their feedback in environmental decisionmaking, successes and challenges in implementing the Governor’s environmental justice strategy and the Justice40 Initiative, and next steps for their agency in advancing environmental justice for all in Maryland.

2F: Food Justice in Baltimore (Margaret Brent B)
● Azania Heyward-James, Principal, Chief Ethnographic Data Analytics and Technical Development Strategist, The Cornerstone Collective 2020 & Damê Consultants, TC2T²DCG (moderator)
● Yewande Akinkuowo, Food Policy & Planner, Baltimore City Department of Planning
● Naijha - Wright Brown, Executive Director, Black Veg Society, Founder, Vegan Restaurant Week
● Chef Gregory Brown, CEO, Co-Owner and Head Chef, The Land of Kush

Description: Low-income neighborhoods, urban areas, and predominantly African American communities in the city have limited access to healthier food options, in stark contrast to their more affluent, suburban, or predominantly White counterparts. This stark disparity in the availability of nutritious food resources has led to the well-documented problems of "food deserts" or "food swamps," which are especially prevalent in segregated and fragmented urban areas. Furthermore, the lack of adequate transportation options exacerbates the challenges faced by these communities. Regrettably, these food deserts and swamps are just symptoms of a larger, systemic problem – a fractured and unequal food system. This systemic issue is often referred to as "food apartheid," where certain communities are systematically denied access to healthy food options and are disproportionately affected by food-related disparities. To address this, there is a growing recognition of the need for "food sovereignty," which empowers communities to have control over their own food systems, making nutritious and culturally appropriate food more accessible. This session will delve into the impact of food apartheid in Baltimore and highlight the importance of achieving food sovereignty as a means to rectify this deeply ingrained problem.

Join us for an insightful exploration of food justice issues in Baltimore, Maryland. This session serves as a platform to connect with advocates, experts, and activists dedicated to addressing profound disparities in our city's food systems. This discussion draws inspiration from a range of transformative initiatives, including Justice40, designed to confront systemic inequalities across various domains, notably food access. During this session, our speakers will discuss similar programs and policies aimed at fostering equity, assessing their effectiveness and broader implications. Furthermore, our speakers will explore the significance of composting efforts, urban agriculture and permaculture and delve into dietary choices, like plant-based and vegan diets, as strategies to address food inequities and promote sustainable practices highlighting their potential to strengthen communities and enhance resilience. This session welcomes activists, policymakers, food enthusiasts, and anyone concerned about food equity in frontline and fenceline communities.

Concurrent Sessions III | 3:30 P.M. - 4:45 P.M.

3A: UPAL’s Work to Advance Environmental and Climate Justice in Virginia (Margaret Brent A)
● Queen Shabazz, Executive Director, United Parents Against Lead (UPAL)

Description: United Parents Against Lead (UPAL), was founded in 1997 by parents of lead poisoned children. UPAL is a national networking organization, which has committed first and foremost to ensuring the basic rights of all children to live in a safe and healthy environment while working to mitigate the continuing threat of lead poisoning and environmental hazards through education, awareness, advocacy, intervention and resource referral. In this session, UPAL leadership will discuss their history in working in the environmental justice movement, and impacts. Recently, UPAL envisioned and spearheaded the development of a Petersburg, VA Resiliency Resource Hub. UPAL leadership will discuss the path traveled to establish the hub, challenges and barriers to establishing the hub, purpose of the hub, and future plans. Finally, the UPAL team will share lessons learned and best practices that have emerged from the 26 years of working to obtain a lead-free environment and a safe space for Black and Brown children to live, learn, play, and pray.

3B: Environmental Justice Issues in Washington, DC (Benjamin Banneker A)
● Adrienne Hollis, Vice President, Environmental Justice, Health, and Community Revitalization, National Wildlife Federation (NWF) (moderator)
● Darlene Oliver, ANC Commissioner, Ward 5
● Sebrena Rhodes, ANC Vice Chair, Ward 5, Community Organizer Empower DC, Ivy City Resident
● Rhonda Hamilton, ANC and NeRAC, Near Buzzard Point Resilient Action Committee, Ward 6
● Frazer Walton, Attorney and Advocate for the Anacostia River
● Brenda Richardson, Coordinator, Anacostia Parks & Community Collaborative (APACC) and President, Chozen Consulting, LLC
● Nathan Harrington, Executive Director, Ward 8 – Woods

Description: In recent years, the Nation's Capital has confronted distinctive environmental justice challenges, encompassing issues such as air pollution hazards, illicit dumping in Anacostia Park, and coastal flooding. Additionally, Washington DC has been grappling with one of the nation's most pronounced rates of gentrification and wealth disparity. Consequently, resource allocation and climate mitigation efforts in the District have primarily favored more affluent neighborhoods, leaving many BIPOC and low-income communities marginalized. The problem of transportation injustice is also pervasive, with low-income and communities of color more reliant on public transportation yet lacking sufficient transit infrastructure. Simultaneously, they are exposed to industrial activity primarily situated in their neighborhoods, as seen in places like Ivy City and Buzzard Point. These issues have contributed to a significant life expectancy gap of 15.6 years across the eight wards and disparities in adults reporting asthma, with the highest rate at 23.4% in Ward 8, followed by 15.3% in Ward 6, among other health disparities documented in the Health Equity Report for the District of Columbia.

This session aims to deeply explore the pressing matters surrounding environmental justice concerns in DC, delving into the compounded effects of environmental and societal inequities. We will draw insights from representatives spanning from Ward 5 to Ward 8, as well as environmental justice leaders associated with grassroots organizations such as Empower DC, Near Buzzard Point Resilient Action Committee, Anacostia Parks & Community Collaborative, and Ward 8 Woods. These speakers will address ongoing environmental justice challenges affecting Washington DC, shed light on the social factors that disproportionately impact underserved communities, highlight the efforts undertaken to tackle these challenges, and propose potential pathways for progress in the foreseeable future.

3C: CHARMED Session I: Pilot Projects (Juan Jimenez)
● Marsha Wills-Karp, Director, CHARMED; Professor and Chair, Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University (moderator)
● Sara Lupolt, Assistant Scientist, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University
● Katie Kurowski, PhD Candidate, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University
● Kyle Moored, Assistant Scientist, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University
● Lauren Deanes, PhD Candidate, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University

Description: CHARMED (Community Health: Addressing Regional Maryland Environmental Determinants of Disease); a P30 core center funded by the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), leads efforts to build capacity of community-engaged research aimed at understanding the mechanistic links between environmental exposures and adverse health outcomes and translate these findings into action to improve the health of vulnerable individuals in communities across the greater Maryland region. Through co-learning and partnership with community, academic, governmental, and regulatory stakeholders, the CHARMED Center aims to translate these findings into action to improve the health and wellbeing of communities in the greater Maryland region and some communities in Pennsylvania and North Carolina. The CHARMED Center is based out of the Johns Hopkins Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, but its leadership spans Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland, and community residents from the greater MD region. The Center houses a Community Engagement core; an Integrated Health Sciences Facilities core; and an Exposure Characterization and Modeling Facility core. The Center also has various synergy groups on different environmental health topics.

With the center’s focus to support community-engaged projects in the academic community on topics such as cardiorespiratory health and airborne contaminants; chemical mixtures and emerging contaminants, and health; community, social and environmental determinants of health and neurological health, the current pilot grant program has selected several promising research proposals. In this session, grantees will provide an overview of their projects and results so far. Projects covered will include: (1) Assessing Strengths, Stressors and Environmental justice in SoutheaStern (ASSESS) Pennsylvania communities, (2) Regional Air Monitoring of Poultry Emissions in Delmarva (RAMPED) Study; (3) Neighborhood Walkability and Lifestyle Activity: Examining Promising Pathways to Improve Cognitive Health in Baltimore City Older Adults and (4) Community Health Effects of Coal Dust (CHECD).

3D: Philanthropy Ceding Power: A Panel Discussion (Charles Carroll)
● Jamie Baxter, CBFN’s Director, Chesapeake Bay Funders Network (moderator)
● Tamira Benitez, Executive Director, Diverse City Fund
● Kacey Wetzel, Vice President of Programs, Chesapeake Bay Trust
● Katie Robinson, Project Director, Mosaic Initiative

Description: This session is centered on the critical necessity to include representation from diverse groups interested in developing the Mid-Atlantic region. Many needs in those areas could be covered, such as socio-economic problems, educational gaps, increased justice, equity, etc. The people living in those areas who are a part of the Grant Making would be the best resource to determine priorities, policies, and other ways to spend the money received. Steps could be established, different goals could be reached, and the inclusion of local participants in those decisions would be crucial for the positive impact and development of the Mid-Atlantic region.

In this session, our primary goal is to demonstrate the innovative way to engage non-profit organizations and members of communities for the development of a common well-being in the Mid-Atlantic region. All this could lead to overcoming local challenges and social problems including environmental, climate, and energy injustices which have limited local prosperity, and help create better strategies to ensure resources are used more equitably and effectively.

3E: Environmental Justice, Goods Movement, and Air Quality Issues in New Jersey (Margaret Brent B)
● Vivek Ravichandran, PhD Student, CEEJH and Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland (moderator)
● Kim Gaddy, Director, South Ward Environmental Alliance
● Dyna Anderson, Program Manager, New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance
● Terrance Bankston, Senior Ports and Freight Campaigner, Friends of the Earth’s Oceans and Vessels Program
● Christina Schell, Program Manager, Office of Environmental and Public Health Analysis, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
● Robert Laumbach, Associate Professor, School of Public Health, Rutgers University

Description: While transportation of goods in this country is pivotal for the economic and social wellbeing for the country, it has enormous carbon and air pollution footprints--these footprints differentially burden and impact communities of color and low-wealth areas. The Port of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) is the third largest seaport in the United States, comprising nearly 30% of the East Coast’s total port market share. 85% of goods leaving the port are transported by diesel-powered trucks via major highways and local roads within the region to nearby warehouses, assembly facilities, and retailers. This affects the health of residents of the South Ward, Newark, New Jersey, which contains the predominantly African American neighborhoods of Dayton Street, Weequahic, and Clinton Hill.

In this session, panelists will describe the established community-university-government partnership to understand exposure issues and cumulative impacts associated with goods movement activities and environmental injustice in the South Ward. Panelists will discuss the benefits of, lessons learned from, and challenges associated with the development of a hyperlocal low-cost real-time PurpleAir monitoring network in the South Ward to measure baseline particulate matter levels. They will discuss state-of-the-art community-engaged assessments of local concentrations of transportation-related air pollution (TRAP). Furthermore, panelists will discuss their fight for equity and justice for impacted residents and discuss community-centered strategies, recent cumulative impacts legislation, and solutions that should be implemented such as truck rerouting, zero emission zones, clean air zones and corridors for children, and truck idling enforcement.\

Closing Plenary | 5:00 P.M. - 6:00 P.M.

Topic: What Can Your TCTAC Do For You? A Discussion with TCTAC Directors (Grand
Ballroom)
● Sacoby Wilson, Director, Community Engagement, Environmental Justice, and Health (CEEJH), School of Public Health, University of Maryland (moderator)
● Region 2
○ Peggy Shepard, Co-Founder, Executive Director, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, Funding and Member, White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council (WHEJAC)
● Region 3
○ Adrienne Hollis, Vice President, Environmental Justice, Health, and Community Revitalization, National Wildlife Federation (NWF)
● Region 6
○ Beverly Wright, Executive Director, Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, and Member, White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council (WHEJAC)
● Region 10
○ Edmund Seto, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, UW Center for Environmental Health Equity, University of Washington

Description: The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working to address environmental, public health, and energy challenges affecting communities, specifically historically underserved and adversely impacted by environmental racism, persistent poverty, inequality, and lack of funding and resources. Consistent with EPA’s mission and Administrative priorities in collaboration with the US Department of Energy (DOE), the EPA sought applications from eligible entities to establish and operate Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTAC). The EJ TCTACs will provide technical assistance to overburdened, underserved, rural, remote, and resource-constrained communities seeking to address local environmental and energy justice issues. The TCTACs will help communities build capacity to navigate federal grant application systems, write strong grant proposals, manage grant funding, and secure financing for clean energy projects. Additionally, the TCTACs will provide support in outreach and engagement, building partnerships, and developing programming to assist with the clean energy transition needed to advance environmental and energy justice.

In April 2023, the EPA unveiled the selection of 17 TCTACs totaling $117 million dollars covering all ten EPA regions. In this closing plenary, leaders of the Region 2, 3, 6, and 10 TCTACs will discuss the vital role these EJ technical assistance centers play, responding directly to the long-standing calls from environmental justice leaders and communities of concern. They will share the goals and objectives of their TCTAC, current efforts, discuss challenges, and how to sustain efforts to build capacity in communities experiencing environmental, climate, and energy injustice over the long-term.

Closing Reception and Documentary Viewing | 6:15 P.M.- 8:30 P.M.

“The Smell of Money”

Speaker Bios

Welcome and Opening Plenary | 9:00 A.M to 10:15 A.M.

EPA Region III TCTAC Roundtable: A Discussion with Community Hubs
● Sacoby Wilson, Director, Community Engagement, Environmental Justice, and Health (CEEJH), School of Public Health, University of Maryland (moderator)
● Adrienne Hollis, Vice President, Environmental Justice, Health, and Community Revitalization, National Wildlife Federation (NWF)(moderator)
● Jerome Shabazz, Overbrook Environmental Education Center
● Maria Payan, Co-Founder, Sentinels of Eastern Shore Health (SESH)
● Mike Payan, Co-Founder, Sussex Health and Environmental Network (SHEN)
● Shashawnda Campbell, South Baltimore Community Land Trust (SBCLT)
● Sebrena Rhodes, ANC Vice Chair, Ward 5, Community Organizer Empower DC, Ivy City Resident

Description: A team of the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), the Center for Community Engagement, Environmental Justice, and Health (CEEJH), and other groups was awarded a $12 million grant to lead the EPA Region III TCTAC, which includes Maryland, Washington, DC, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and West Virginia. Over the five year project period, the Region III TCTAC team will provide much-needed services to help communities throughout the Mid-Atlantic region assess and address local environmental and energy justice issues. Employing a 'hub' strategy, core partners will serve as pivotal 'core hubs,' while community-based 'hubs' will perform outreach and engagement and capacity-building support to prospective applicants in their geographic area of coverage. These localized hubs, with their on-the-ground presence, ensure both geographical and cultural proximity, making it easier for individuals to engage with its initiatives. These community hubs include Centro De Apoyo Familiar (CAF), Empower DC, Sentinels of the Eastern Shore Health (SESH), Sussex Health and Environmental Network (SHEN), South Baltimore Community Land Trust (SBCLT), and the Overbrook Center.

In this session, we will have a roundtable discussion with community partners on their work in the environmental justice space, their vision for the TCTAC in addressing environmental and energy justice issues at the local and regional level, discuss their particular roles and responsibilities as community hubs, describe challenges in achieving the goals and objectives of the TCTAC, and provide guidance on next steps and ensuring the long-term sustainability and impact of the TCTAC in EPA Region III and beyond.

Concurrent Sessions I | 10:30 A.M. - 11:45 A.M.

1A: Pollution Politics: Environmental Justice and Health Issues in Virginia
● Lashrecse Aird, Former Petersburg Delegate and Senate Candidate, District 13, Virginia Senate
● Bekura Shabazz, Environmental Justice Coordinator, Petersburg, VA NAACP
● Leslie King, Chief Futurist, Leslie King Consulting, Lynchburg Rising
● Randy Welch, Advocacy and Community Outreach Lead/Training Coordinator, SERCAP
● Michelle Williams, Environmental Justice in Education Advocate, Richmond, VA
Description: The Commonwealth of Virginia is a state of diverse landscapes that can be geographically segmented as Northern Virginia, the Tidewater, the Northern Neck, Central Virginia, Southern Virginia and Western Virginia/Appalachia, etc. The people of “the Commonwealth” are equally diverse. Roughly 20% of residents are African-American, the state has a growing Latinx population, and 88% of the state being rural with 26% of the population living in these areas. However, the presence of environmental injustice is pervasive in every part of the state. The legacy of the Confederacy, federal redlining, agricultural segregation, the transition of “Big Tobacco” and its cancer legacy and racism have impacted communities of color and low-income populations throughout the Commonwealth. The panelists assembled will discuss the environmental justice issues being tackled in Virginia communities including Lynchburg, Petersburg, Richmond, and rural, lower-wealth communities throughout the state. They will describe the contributions of environmental, social, and climate injustice on driving poor outcomes and health inequities for populations of color, low-income immigrants, and economically marginalized White residents in the state. They will share challenges, successes, lessons learned, best practices, and opportunities for new beginnings through partnerships and collaborations with organizations within and beyond the state’s boundaries.

1B: Agriculture, CAFOs, and Biogas Facilities in Rural Communities
● Mike Payan, Co-Founder, Sussex Health and Environmental Network (SHEN) (moderator)
● Maria Payan, Co-Founder, Sentinels of the Eastern Shore Health (SESH)
● Chris Heaney, Associate Professor, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University
● Emanie Dorival, Activist, Haitian Community
● Charito Calvachi-Mateyko, Founder, The Latino Initiative on Restorative Justice
● Danielle Diamond, Attorney, Environmental and Social Justice Associates

Description: In communities across rural America, residents are being stripped of their basic human rights to clean air and water by industrial animal agriculture including confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and related facilities (i.e., biogas plants). Industrial chicken farms in Maryland and Delaware are sources of nitrates and other chemicals that can contaminate rivers and streams causing eutrophication and fish kills. Additionally, these factory farms emit toxic pollutants including particulate matter, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and microbes like E. coli and Salmonella that can impact human health. These factory farms tend to be disproportionately sited in communities of color, low-income areas, and neighborhoods with limited power. In addition to factory farms, biogas plants have been touted as false climate change solutions to capture methane gas associated with industrial animal agriculture.

Panelists will discuss the negative social, environmental, health, and economic impacts of industrial animal agriculture and biogas plants. They will describe their efforts to fight against factory farming and biogas plants in Maryland and Delaware, including a Title VI Civil Rights complaint in Delaware. Panelists will share lessons learned and best practices that attendees can use to fight against these unhealthy agricultural practices in their community, including community science. Panelists will also discuss just and sustainable climate smart agricultural policy and practices that can benefit communities differentially impacted by industrial animal agriculture and biogas operations.

1C: Community Science Workshop: Air Quality Sensors I
● Clay Thompson, Research Assistant, CEEJH, Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland
● Vivek Ravichandran, PhD Student, CEEJH, Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland

Description: Air pollution exposure can differ substantially at the neighborhood resolution, emphasizing a critical need for hyperlocal air monitoring. In this session, CEEJH staff will discuss emerging air monitoring tools and show how their data on criteria air pollutants (CAPs) and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) could help advance our understanding and reduction of environmental injustice, and how community members can understand and share typical pollution levels in their neighborhoods and collaborate to reduce emissions and protect public health. CEEJH staff will provide an overview and demonstration of low-cost real-time air stationary and mobile monitors such as the PurpleAir, ATMOTECH Atmotube, Plume Labs Flow, AirCasting Airbeam, Clarity Node-S, MetOne C-12, and QuantAQ MODULAIR. As result of the attending this session, participants will be able to:
• Recognize different types of air quality monitoring (mobile vs. stationary and government vs. community-driven)
• Demonstrate the PurpleAir CrowdMap
• Evaluate low-cost sensors available for bulk purchase to the general public and academic institutions and their functionality and user-friendliness

1D: Mid-Atlantic Data Justice Collaborative: An Overview
● Arielle Wharton, Climate Change Specialist, CEEJH, School of Public Health, University of Maryland (moderator)
● Edna Primrose, Environmental Justice Ministry leader, AME Church
● Marvin Silver, Associate Conference Minister of Justice & Witness Ministries, United Church of Christ
● Robin Lewis, Director for Climate Equity, Interfaith Power & Light (DC.MD.NoVA)

Description: Communities of color in the Mid-Atlantic region (Delaware, Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania) have long endured systemic racism and environmental injustice. Factors such as highways, industrial activity, poor zoning, and planning have created unhealthy environments, disproportionately impacting people of color and perpetuating a cycle of inequality. These communities face higher exposure to air and water pollution, inadequate housing, and insufficient infrastructure, leading to profound health disparities and diminished quality of life. One of the critical challenges faced by these communities is heightened exposure to air pollution, particularly from sources like major transportation hubs, industrial facilities, and heavily trafficked roads. The Mid-Atlantic Data Justice Collaborative recognizes this issue and is actively supporting community-driven strategies to gather data on local air pollution, with a specific focus on traffic-related particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5, PM1). Particulate matter poses severe health risks, including cardiovascular disease, reduced lung function, increased asthma rates, emergency room visits, diabetes, and higher overall morbidity and mortality rates.This project's significance lies in its community-based approach to collecting detailed neighborhood-level air pollution data, addressing a critical data gap that has hindered informed action for too long.

In this session, panelists from the African Methodist Episcopal Church and the United Church of Christ will discuss their work within the Data Justice Collaborative to expand air quality monitoring to understand and address cumulative impacts of air pollution in overburdened communities in the Mid-Atlantic. Additionally, panelists will discuss challenges that have experienced about environmental justice and lessons learned and best practices that attendees can use in their efforts to advance environmental, climate, and energy justice through partnerships and collaborations with groups in the region.

1E: EPA Region III TCTAC: Grant Writing 1 on 1 Workshop I
● Paul Kavanaugh, Grant Specialist, CEEJH, Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland
● Medessa Burian, Assistant Director, Environmental Finance Center (EFC), University of Maryland

Description: The EPA TCTAC program, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) supports Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity And Support For Underserved Communities Through The Federal Government and Executive Order 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, which deepened the Administration’s commitment to advancing environmental justice by creating the Justice40 Initiative. Recently, the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), the Center for Community Engagement, Environmental Justice, and Health (CEEJH) with other partners were awarded a $12 million grant to lead the EPA Region III TCTAC which serves the states of DE, MD, PA, VA, WV, and DC. Over the five year project period, the Region III TCTAC team will provide much-needed services to help communities throughout the Mid-Atlantic region assess and address local environmental and energy justice issues. As part of technical assistance and grant writing support provided by the Region III TCTAC, this workshop will cover all of the activities that an applicant can complete today to prepare to write a proposal to a governmental agency or a private funder. This workshop is constructed to assist a first-time applicant and those attendees who have participated in but never led a grant proposal development effort. As a result of attending this session, participants will be able to:
• Register their organization in Grants.gov
• Register their organization in the System for Award Management (Sam.gov) and obtain a Unique Entity Identification (UEI) number
• Locate relevant federal, state and private funding opportunities for their projects
• Evaluate if a funding opportunity is suitable for their proposed project.

1F: Park Equity Mapping Tool
● Haile Tadesse, GIS Specialist, CEEJH, Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland

Description: The Park Equity Mapper is a state-level tool adapted to the context and issues surrounding park equity Maryland. In 2008, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) developed the Maryland Park Equity Assessment Tool to visualize the socio environmental distribution of parks across the state and assess where resource investments would most enhance residents' access to green space. The park equity mapper, is the first of its kind in Maryland, represents an essential advancement in environmental justice (EJ) decision-making. In 2018, MDNR partnered with the Center for Community Engagement, Environmental Justice, and Health (CEEJH) and the Center for Geospatial Information Science (CGIS) at the University of Maryland to update (version 2.0) the tool's rudimentary model for identifying communities with low park equity and to improve the tool's overall function and design. Indicators included in the tool are divided into two categories (Park Equity and Demographics), and three domains (1) Location for Parks (2) Public transportation, and (3) Number of park amenities. In order to identify inequities in park access and quality, the tool combines demographic and environmental health data from Maryland Transit Administration (MTA), and other sources and visualizes that information as an index at the census tract level. The tool can be used by policymakers, urban planners, community organizers, and residents to make informed decisions that promote equitable access to green spaces and recreational facilities for all Maryland residents, regardless of their socioeconomic background or geographic location. Learning outcomes from this workshop include:
• Navigate and interpret the interactive maps, extracting valuable insights on park density, transportation connectivity, and demographic characteristics.
• Evaluate the number of green spaces in their neighborhood and see how the number compares to the rest of Maryland.
• Apply the skills and knowledge to advocate for more equitable investment and better park management in underserved areas.

Lunchtime Plenary | 12:00 P.M. - 1:15 P.M.

Building Power - Connecting the Black Church to the Environmental Justice Movement
● Robin Lewis, Director for Climate Equity, Interfaith Power and Light (moderator)
● Mark Whitlock Jr., Senior Pastor, Reid Temple AME Church
● Brittney Drakeford, Community Planner, Co-Director, Gethsemane UMC
● Michelle Lewis, Executive Director, Peace Garden Project

Description: Join this luncheon plenary with powerful faith leaders in the Black Church who will discuss how they are engaging their congregations on environmental sustainability and advocacy for environmental justice and equity within their communities. Many congregations are going solar, greening their church, creating community gardens, advocating for environmental policy, creating environmental justice/green ministries, and leading their communities to advocate for healthy and sustainable environmental policy solutions. Our panelists include Rev. Dr. Mark Whitlock, Jr., Pastor of Reid Temple AME Church; Brittany Drakeford, Community Planner at National Capital Planning Commission and Author at Gethsemane UMC, and Rev. Dr. Michelle Lewis, Executive Director of the Peace Garden Project; with Robin Lewis, Director for Climate Equity Interfaith Power & Light DMV as moderator of the discussion.

Concurrent Sessions II | 1:30 P.M. - 2:45 P.M.

2A: Un Mejor Mundo es Posible: Latinos Tomando Acción para un Futuro mas Verde.
A Better World is Possible: Latinos Take Action for a Greener Future
● Walkiria Pool, President and Founder, Centro de Apoyo Familiar (CAF) (moderator)
● Gabriela D. Lemus, Executive Director, Maryland Latinos Unidos (MLU) (moderator)
● Lesliam Quiroz-Alcala, Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University
● Abel Olivo, Executive Director, Defensores de la Cuenca (Watershed Defenders)
● Norberto Martinez, Executive Director, Langley Park Civic Association

Description: The Mid-Atlantic region of the United States is home to a large and growing Latino population, comprising nearly 15% of the population in the Mid-Atlantic, and this number is expected to grow in the coming years. Unfortunately, Latino populations in the Mid-Atlantic are disproportionately affected by environmental and climate justice issues. These issues include air pollution, water pollution, landfills, and waste disposal. Latino communities in the Mid-Atlantic are more likely to live near industrial facilities that emit air pollutants, such as power plants, factories, and incinerators. They are also more likely to live near contaminated water sources, such as Superfund sites and sewage treatment plants. These sources of pollution can contaminate drinking water, leading to health problems such as gastrointestinal illness, neurological disorders, and reproductive problems that disproportionately affect their demographic, when compared to White Americans. Furthermore, Latino communities in the Mid-Atlantic are also more likely to live near landfills and waste disposal facilities. These facilities can emit harmful pollutants into the air and water, and they can also attract rodents and other pests that can spread disease.

In this bilingual session, we will examine the nexus between environmental justice, public health, and community action. This session will include representatives from Centro De Apoyo Familiar, CASA, and others who strive for the health and well-being of Latinx populations in the Mid-Atlantic and push for just and culturally competent research practices. These panelists will share issues that their communities face, including environmental injustice, climate-driven storms, and housing, transportation, and healthcare access problems. They will describe how community members can organize, build relationships with government agencies, nonprofits, small businesses and places of worship to create awareness, empower the people, catalyze systemic change and improve the world we live in so that our families are happier and healthier.

We can plant the seeds for a Greener Future. Nosotros podemos sembrar las semillas para un futuro más verde.

2B: Climate Justice Fellows Session I
● Arielle Wharton, Climate Change Specialist, CEEJH, School of Public Health, University of Maryland (moderator)
● Richard Coaxum, Climate Change and Sustainability Advisory, Columbia Association
● Cynthia Herrera, Certified Weed Warrior at City of Baltimore Recreation & Parks
● Laura Schmidt, Research Aide, Sussex Health and Environmental Network (SHEN)
● Zaki Lewis, Youth Member, Brown Grove Preservation Group

Description: The Climate Justice Fellows Program is a groundbreaking initiative led by the Center for Community Engagement, Environmental Justice and Health (CEEJH). This 21-week immersive virtual training and implementation program is designed to equip individuals with essential knowledge about Environmental Justice (EJ) and Climate Justice (CJ) principles. The Climate Justice Fellows program places a significant emphasis on the capstone project, which serves as a culminating experience for the cohort members. This project is cohort members-led, allowing the fellows to take ownership of their work while receiving guidance and support from Dr. Sacoby Wilson and CEEJH. The capstone project provides an opportunity for fellows to apply the knowledge and skills they have gained throughout the program to a real-world environmental justice problem in a community of concern in the Mid-Atlantic region. By addressing a local environmental, climate, or energy justice challenge, cohort members can make a positive impact in their partner community and actively bolster environmental and climate justice initiatives.

In this session, fellows will present their capstone projects. Capstone topics in this session will focus on analyzing cumulative impacts bills, improving other/future bills, cumulative impact assessments, rebuilding community involvement and environmental justice activism after COVID-19 and the importance of climate action plans. Fellows will showcase their community projects that are dedicated to making strides in addressing climate and environmental injustices.

2C: Maryland Climate Equity and Health Mapping Tool
● Bukola Agboola, GIS Specialist, CEEJH, Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health School of Public Health, University of Maryland

Description: The MD Climate and Health Equity Mapper is a state level tool adapted to visualize context and issues surrounding climate change, equity, and health. It is an interactive tool used for understanding, addressing, and mitigating the health impacts of climate change, with a specific focus on promoting equity and ensuring that vulnerable communities receive the support they need. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), partnered with the Center for Community Engagement, Environmental Justice and Health (CEEJH), and the Center for Geospatial Information Science (CGIS) to create the tool. Version 1.0 of the tool is divided into six domains: (1) Climate & Health Equity, (2) Natural Disaster Risk, (3) Health Infrastructure, (4) Health Outcomes, (5) Vulnerability, and (6) Community Resilience. The tool provides a composite score that helps to rank communities based on relative difference in climate-related burdens and risks. The various data is displayed on a map of Maryland census tracts, which provides the public with resources to identify gaps in climate and health equity. As the effects of climate change worsen, it is more important than ever to address both equity in health and climate change. Learning outcomes from this workshop include:
• Understanding of how the mapper offers an engaging platform to explore the connections between climate impacts and public health.
• Utilize the tool to better understand the differential burden of climate hazards on vulnerable communities and populations.
• Develop the ability to identify vulnerability patterns and locate target areas for resource allocation and intervention.

2D: EPA Region III TCTAC: Grant Writing 1 on 1 Workshop II
● Paul Kavanaugh, Grant Specialist, CEEJH, Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland
● Medessa Burian, Assistant Director, Environmental Finance Center (EFC), University of Maryland

Description: The US EPA’s TCTAC program, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) supports Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity And Support For Underserved Communities Through The Federal Government and Executive Order 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, which deepened the Administration’s commitment to advancing environmental justice by creating the Justice40 Initiative. Recently, the National Wildlife Federation, the Center for Community Engagement, Environmental Justice, and Health (CEEJH) with other partners were awarded a $12 million grant to lead the EPA Region III TCTAC which serves the states of DE, MD, PA, VA, WV, and DC. Over the five-year project period, the Region III TCTAC team will provide much-needed services to help communities throughout the Mid-Atlantic region assess and address local environmental and energy justice issues. As part of technical assistance and grant writing support provided by the Region III TCTAC, attendees will be presented with basic information about developing a well-structured grant proposal that can be submitted to federal and non-federal funding agencies. Attendees will also receive training on the common elements of a proposal including goals and objectives, outputs vs outcomes, milestones chart, timeline, logic model, performance measurement plan, budget and budget justification, evaluation, and letters of commitment vs letters of support. As a result of attending this session, attendees will:
• Gain knowledge about how to craft a compelling grant proposal
• Gain insight on developing well-constructed components of the proposal as outlined in the RFP and in response to evaluation criteria
• Increase the skills needed to illustrate the intended impact, effectiveness, and benefits of their proposed project in their grant proposal

2E: Environmental Justice and Air Quality Monitoring Efforts in Turner Station
● Vivek Ravichandran, PhD Student, CEEJH and Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland (moderator)
● Gloria Nelson, President, Turner Station Conservation Teams, Inc.
● Ana Rule, Assistant Professor, Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University
● Ryan Auvil, Manager, Air Monitoring Program, Air and Radiation Administration, Maryland Department of the Environment
● Andrea van Wyk, Baltimore Community Project Manager, The Nature Conservancy

Description: Pollution has been a persistent part of life in Turner Station, Maryland. The historically African-American community is surrounded by a former steel production plant, gas-fired power plant, landfill, and Interstate 695 (I-695). It is known as a sacrifice zone for industrial corridors, goods movement, dirty energy production, and waste management. Fortunately, local grassroots organizations have formed to fight against environmental racism and injustice in Turner Station while pushing for fair development and clean energy solutions. The community based organization, Turner Station Conservations Teams, the Maryland Department of the Environment, and Johns Hopkins University entered into a partnership with the goal of establishing a hyper-local network of air monitors in Turner Station, Dundalk, Maryland.

In this session, panelists will describe partnerships with local researchers to understand exposure issues and health impacts associated with environmental injustice in Turner Station. They will describe the role of the EPA American Rescue Plan (ARP) grant aimed to build a hyperlocal air quality network using sensor packages to assess residential exposure to an array of pollutants. The Nature Conservancy’s Urban Conservation team will share their experience launching an equitable conservation program in Turner Station that integrates art, science, and design. Participants will learn how this approach fosters opportunities for inclusive community engagement and the co-creation of equitable conservation outcomes to transform Turner Station into a healthier, greener, and more just community.

2F: CHARMED Session II: Meet and Greet/Get to Know the Team
● Marsha Wills-Karp, Director, CHARMED; Professor and Chair, Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University
● Chris Heaney, Associate Professor, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University
● Kirsten Koehler, Associate Professor, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University
● Natalie Exum, Assistant Scientist, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University
Description: CHARMED (Community Health: Addressing Regional Maryland Environmental Determinants of Disease); a P30 core center funded by the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), leads efforts to build capacity of community-engaged research aimed at understanding the mechanistic links between environmental exposures and adverse health outcomes and translate these findings into action to improve the health of vulnerable individuals in communities across the greater Maryland region. Through co-learning and partnership with community, academic, governmental, and regulatory stakeholders, the CHARMED Center aims to translate these findings into action to improve the health and wellbeing of communities in the greater Maryland region and some communities in Pennsylvania and North Carolina. The CHARMED Center is based out of the Johns Hopkins Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, but its leadership spans Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland, and community residents from the greater MD region. The Center houses a Community Engagement core; an Integrated Health Sciences Facilities core; and an Exposure Characterization and Modeling Facility core. The Center also has various synergy groups on different environmental health topics.

During this session, CHARMED-affiliated faculty, investigators, and community partners will be able to meet and share their experiences and lessons learned on their community-engaged environmental health research projects. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet and hear from CHARMED leadership and learn about research opportunities with the Center, services it provides, and how to access those services to understand and address their local environmental health concerns.

Concurrent Sessions III | 3:00 P.M. - 4:15 P.M.

3A: Environmental Justice, Wildfires, and Heat: What to Do? Workshop and Discussion
● Blean Girma, PhD Student, CEEJH, Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland
Description: In early June, the United States faced its worst air quality crisis ever, affecting 62 million Americans due to harmful particulate matter from Canadian wildfires. The wildfires continued to worsen, especially during Father's Day Weekend and subsequent weeks, significantly impacting the health of Mid-Atlantic Region residents who were still recovering from the initial wave of pollution. The Clean Air Act authorizes the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate criteria air pollutants (CAPs), including particulate matter (PM), which is present in wildfire smoke and poses health risks when inhaled. However, addressing this issue is complicated as the pollution originates from across international borders. Simultaneously, global temperatures have been rising this summer, with many cities experiencing record-breaking heat during the week of July 4th. Vulnerable populations, such as the elderly and unhoused, have faced prolonged exposure to extreme heat. Studies have revealed that BIPOC communities in major US cities are disproportionately exposed to urban heat, a phenomenon known as the "urban heat island effect." The lack of green spaces and an abundance of concrete in urban areas result in varying temperatures from block to block, disproportionately affecting low-income communities and communities of color with the burden of extreme heat.

This workshop is meant to prepare communities on what to do during such events that have transpired this summer and to collectively envision strategies communities and local governments should take moving forward. In this session, we will discuss how expansive the impacts of wildfire smoke pollution and extreme heat has had in the Mid-Atlantic Region and identify current gaps in climate adaptation and resilience strategies in place by local government and community wise. Topics covered will include– heat emergency planning, AC access & indoor air quality in low-income and BIPOC communities, and what adaptation and mitigation strategies have been used to address the lack of climate resiliency in urban heat islands and environmental justice communities. Through participation in this session, attendees will enhance their knowledge about the best practices that cities and metropolitan regions across the country have used to increase the resilience of populations at risk from heat-related morbidity and mortality.

3B: The Role of HBCUs in Addressing Environmental and Climate Injustice in the Mid-Atlantic
● Adrienne Hollis, Vice President, Environmental Justice, Health, and Community Revitalization, National Wildlife Federation (NWF) (moderator)
● Mark Barnes, Associate Professor, Department of History, Geography & Museum Studies, Morgan State University
● Lemir Teron, Associate Professor, Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, Howard University

Description: The Historically Black College and University (HBCU), with its mission formed to
advance racial equality in American society, has served as an anchor and safe haven institution for marginalized communities in coastal, urban, and rural areas since their inception. However, they have long-faced and struggled with environmental exposures and crises of a critical nature due to their physical as well as social world locations. History as well as geography acknowledges that the early establishment years of most HBCUs were rooted in government-assisted racial segregation in American higher education—an unavoidable and bitter consequence of racist practices like Jim Crow that drove their placement in environmentally hazardous sites and situations. However, in recent years, HBCUs have risen to tackle “the dead hand of the past” in ways that have been both remarkable and inspiring towards bringing about environmental and
climate justice for themselves and their surrounding communities through a mix of structural (e.g., LEED certified architecture) and non-structural (e.g., Deep South Center for Environmental Justice) investments.

In this session, panelists representing HBCUs will explore investments made by these anchor institutions to establish and expand their footprint in environmental and climate justice movements. Reports of extreme weather impacts sustained by HBCUs in the United States. Midwest, Gulf Coast, and Mid-Atlantic regions that crippled the operational functioning of some on the one hand, and brought others to closure on the other will be provided by panelists. Discussed as well will be those exposed to climate change threats like sea-level rise and that face potential long-term flooding impacts not only of a physical quality but also, of a political, economic, and cultural nature. Panelists will also present how HBCUs hold the key towards the establishment of on- and off-campus environments that are as sustainable as they are resilient towards the impacts of climate change and other negative conditions driven by environmental injustice.

3C: Climate Justice Fellows Session II
● Arielle Wharton, Climate Change Specialist, CEEJH, University of Maryland (moderator)
● William Ellis, Director, External Affairs, Pepco Holdings
● Nicole Jackson, Principal Sustainability Consultant, Monarch Professional Services Group (Monarch PSG)
● Myra Cobb-Davis, Senior Loan Administration Manager, Montgomery County Green Bank
● Brittney Smith, Senior, Trinity Washington University

Description: The Climate Justice Fellows Program is a groundbreaking initiative led by the Center for Community Engagement, Environmental Justice and Health (CEEJH). This 21-week immersive virtual training and implementation program is designed to equip individuals with essential knowledge about Environmental Justice (EJ) and Climate Justice (CJ) principles. The Climate Justice Fellows program places a significant emphasis on the capstone project, which serves as a culminating experience for the cohort members. This project is cohort members-led, allowing the fellows to take ownership of their work while receiving guidance and support from Dr. Sacoby Wilson and CEEJH. The capstone project provides an opportunity for fellows to apply the knowledge and skills they have gained throughout the program to a real-world problem in a community. By addressing a local environmental or climate challenge, cohort members can make a positive impact in their partner community and actively bolster environmental and climate justice initiatives.

In this session, fellows will present their capstone projects. Capstone topics in this session will focus on stormwater, regenerative agriculture within Maryland and walk audits. Fellows will showcase their community projects that are dedicated to making strides in addressing climate and environmental injustices.

B3D: MATCH Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Workshop
● Jerome Shabazz, Executive Director, Overbrook Environmental Education Center
● Parisa Norouzi, Executive Director, Empower DC
● Asada Rashidi, South Ward Environmental Association (SWEA)
● Sumaira Pool, Centro de Apoyo Familiar, Promotoras Youth Program
● Mike Payan, Sussex Health and Environmental Network (SHEN)
● Shashawnda Campbell, South Baltimore Community Land Trust (SBCLT)

Description: Founded in 2023, the Mid-Atlantic Climate Action Hub (MATCH) is an initiative addressing the effects of environmental racism and climate change across the Mid-Atlantic region through training and advocacy. This initiative funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is led by the Center for Community Engagement, Environmental Justice and Health (CEEJH). MATCH partners in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey work with communities that are disproportionately experiencing negative effects of climate change because of historic disenfranchisement and underlying social, economic and geographic vulnerabilities. The objectives of MATCH are the following: 1) Engage, identify, and prioritize communities who will receive funding, assistance and capacity-building; 2) Develop and implement a financial and technical assistance program for select communities; 3) Develop, implement, and leverage educational and training programming to inpower impacted residents to address climate injustices; and 4) Engage policymakers and agencies to implement strategies and policies that will help address climate injustices.

In this session, two MATCH partners (CEEJH and the UMD EFC) will discuss environmental and climate justice issues in the Mid–Atlantic region. They will provide guidance on how attendees from communities of concern can work with MATCH to receive technical assistance and funding support. Additionally, attendees will learn about how to use different strategies and approaches including community engagement, community science tools, and health impact assessment to address their local environmental and climate justice concerns.

3E: Legislator Environmental Justice Scorecard Workshop
● Vivek Ravichandran, PhD Student, CEEJH, Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland

Description: Legislator scorecards have been successfully used by the NAACP, ACLU, and other organizations to hold legislators accountable to their constituencies. In recent years, groups like the California Environmental Justice Alliance and the Center for Community Engagement, Environmental Justice, and Health (CEEJH) have tracked state legislators’ records on environmental justice legislation. In this workshop, CEEJH team members will discuss the development and implementation of the second iteration of its state level scorecard series (2022-2023) to hold legislators accountable in the state of Maryland on pressing environmental justice issues. This scorecard incorporates elements of President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to allocate 40% of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments to disadvantaged, underserved communities hit hardest by environmental injustice, particularly communities of color. In addition, CEEJH team members will discuss the benefits of its scorecard but also challenges and limitations. They will share best practices that can be implemented so others in states without scorecards or other accountability mechanisms can also hold their legislators accountable in advancing environmental and climate justice. As result of attending this session, participants will be able to:
• Identify environmental justice issues Maryland residents are facing
• Breakdown EJ Scores based on voting records for all Maryland House Delegates and Senators from 2022-23
• Recommend how to address environmental and climate justice concerns in state of Maryland

3F: TCTAC Clean Energy Roundtable: Leveraging the Clean Energy Industry to Advance Environmental and Energy Justice
● Jessica Arriens, Program Manager, Climate & Energy Policy, National Wildlife Federation (NWF) (moderator)
● Elvis Moleka, Vice President, Labs and Data Science, Groundswell (DC)
● Jacob Israel Hannah, Chief Conservation Officer, Coalfield Development Corporation
● John Red Cloud, Board Member and Managing Director, Red Cloud Renewable
● Erik Antokal, Director, Workforce Development, Orsted
● Cara Humphrey, Chief Revenue Officer, Neighborhood Sun
Description: The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working to address environmental, public health, and energy challenges affecting communities, specifically historically underserved and adversely impacted by environmental racism, persistent poverty, inequality, and lack of funding and resources. Consistent with EPA’s mission and Administrative priorities in collaboration with the US Department of Energy, the EPA sought applications from eligible entities to establish and operate Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTAC). The EJ TCTACs will provide technical assistance to overburdened, underserved, rural, remote, and resource-constrained communities seeking to address local environmental and energy justice issues. The TCTACs will help communities build capacity to navigate federal grant application systems, write strong grant proposals, manage grant funding, and secure financing for clean energy projects. Additionally, the TCTACs will provide support in outreach and engagement, building partnerships, and developing programming to assist with the clean energy transition needed to advance environmental and energy justice. The EPA initially awarded 17 technical assistance centers $117 million dollars in funding. A team of the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), the Center for Community Engagement, Environmental Justice, and Health (CEEJH), and other groups was awarded a $12 million grant to lead the EPA Region III TCTAC, which includes Maryland, Washington, DC, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and West Virginia. Over the five-year project period, the Region III TCTAC team will provide much-needed services to help communities throughout the Mid-Atlantic region assess and address local environmental and energy justice issues.

In this roundtable discussion, panelists will discuss the role of the clean energy industry in advancing energy equity and justice in the Mid-Atlantic. Additionally, panelists will discuss ways to advance a just energy transition through training programs and green business incubation that can ensure a clean energy workforce that’s accessible to all. Panelists will cover data-driven tools that can identify areas with energy injustice and track energy transitions to mitigate disparities in energy-related risks. Leaders from clean energy companies and organizations, working in the mid-Atlantic and nationally, will discuss these issues--as well as challenges and opportunities to advance both clean energy and energy equity presented by major recent federal investments.

Closing Plenary | 4:30 P.M. - 5:45 P.M.

Environmental Justice and Economic INpowerment: Financial Roundtable on the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF)
● Sacoby Wilson, Director, Community Engagement, Environmental Justice, and Health (CEEJH), School of Public Health, University of Maryland (moderator)
● Ted Toon, Senior Advisor, Building Decarbonization and Finance, US EPA
● Watchen Harris Bruce, President & CEO, Baltimore Community Lending, Inc
● Katherine Magruder, Executive Director, Maryland Clean Energy Center
● Parisa Norouzi, Executive Director, Empower DC
● Jerome Shabazz, Executive Director, Overbrook Environmental Education Center
Description: The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) plays a crucial role in addressing environmental justice, economic inpowerment, and climate change mitigation simultaneously. The three components of GGRF are: (1) National Clean Investment Fund ($14 billion); (2) Clean Communities Investment Accelerator ($6 billion); and (3) Solar for All ($7 billion). The National Clean Investment Fund will provide grants to 2–3 national nonprofit institutions capable of partnering with the private sector to provide accessible, affordable financing for clean technology projects across the country. The Clean Communities Investment Accelerator will provide grants to 2–7 nonprofit hubs that will, in turn, deliver funding and technical assistance to build the clean financing capacity of local community lenders working in low-income and disadvantaged communities—so that underinvested communities have the capital they need to deploy clean technology projects. Solar for All will award up to 60 grants to states, territories, Tribal governments, municipalities, and nonprofits to expand the number of low-income and disadvantaged communities primed for residential solar investment—enabling access to affordable, resilient, and clean solar energy. By investing in clean energy projects, the fund can stimulate job creation and workforce development. This, in turn, empowers residents with better economic prospects and reduces environmental health disparities.

This panel brings together diverse voices and expertise to explore the pivotal role that the GGRF should play in fostering economic inpowerment within marginalized communities while actively contributing to the fight for environmental and climate justice. Panelists from the US EPA, community development financial institutions (CDFIs), green banks, and environmental justice organizations will discuss how the GGRF can help equitably and meaningfully advance local, state, and national environmental justice goals including goals outlined in the Justice40 Initiative and the new Executive Order on Environmental Justice. The panelists will shed light on the potential challenges and barriers that may hinder the GGRF’s capacity in helping to address long standing economic and environmental inequalities in frontline and fenceline communities. Finally, panelists will detail approaches, strategies, and tools that can be used to overcome these challenges and barriers to advance a just energy transition and a clean energy economy for all.

Speaker Bios

Welcome and Keynote | 9:30 A.M. to 10:15 A.M.

Speaker: Reverend Lennox Yearwood Jr., President & CEO, Hip Hop Caucus (Grand Ballroom)

Concurrent Sessions I | 10:30 A.M. - 11:45 A.M.

1A: Technical Assistance on Climate and Environmental Justice Issues in the Mid-Atlantic (MATCH) (Atrium)
Pamela Bingham, Operations Manager, CEEJH, University of Maryland
Jen Cotting, Director, Environmental Finance Center (EFC), University of Maryland

1B: Environmental Justice in the South: Grassroots Heroes and Founders of the Future (Juan Jimenez)
Chris Hawn, Co-Director of Research and Education, North Carolina Environmental Justice Network (NCEJN( (moderator)
Von Barnes, Founder, Kentuckiana Backyard Farms
Reginald Parker, Founder, Optimal Tech Solar
Dorothy Nairne, Founder, Delta Build Enterprises
Garry Harris, President and CEO, Sustainability Solutions Group
1C: Community Science Workshop: Air Quality Sensors II (Margaret Brent A)
Vivek Ravichandran, PhD Student, CEEJH, Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland
Clay Thompson, Research Assistant, CEEJH, Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland

1D: CHARMED Session III: CEC Workshop on Authentic Community Engagement Part I (Prince George’s)
Chris Heaney, Associate Professor, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University
Nicole Fabricant, Professor of Anthropology, Towson University, Author of Fighting to Breathe

1E: Climate Justice Fellows Session III (Charles Carroll A)
Arielle Wharton, Climate Change Specialist, CEEJH (moderator)
Azania Heyward-James, Principal, Chief Ethnographic Data Analytics and Technical Development Strategist, The Cornerstone Collective 2020 & Damê Consultants, TC2T²DCG
Crystal Soo, Manager, EV Energy Management, MN8 Energy
Payton Albers, Senior, University of Maryland
Asia Jackson, Graduate Student, University of Pennsylvania

1F: Maryland Environmental Justice Screen (MD EJSCREEN) Workshop (Margaret Brent B)
Eli Straussman, GIS Specialist, CEEJH, Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland

Lunchtime Plenary | 12:00 P.M. - 1:15 P.M.

Youth Fighting for Environmental Justice (Grand Ballroom)
Walkiria Pool, President, Centro de Apoyo Familiar (CAF) (moderator)
Taysia Thompson, Senior, Mergenthaler High School, Baltimore, MD
Carlos Sanchez Gonzalez, Youth Leader, Benjamin Franklin High School, Baltimore, MD, Organizer, South Baltimore Community Land Trust (SBCLT)
Vilma Elizabeth Gutierrez, Senior, Benjamin Franklin High School, Baltimore, MD
Jennifer Meagan Veillon, Raven Youth Leader, Benjamin Franklin High School, Baltimore, MD

Concurrent Sessions II | 1:30 P.M. - 2:45 P.M.

2A: Narrative Justice: How to Use Storytelling and Narrative to Advance Environmental and Social Justice (Margaret Brent A)
Rica Wilson, Founder and Executive Director, Brown Girl Wellness, Inc.

2B: CHARMED Session IV: CEC Workshop on Authentic Community Engagement Part II (Prince George’s)
Chris Heaney, Associate Professor, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University (moderator)
Nicole Fabricant, Professor of Anthropology, Towson University, Author of Fighting to Breathe (moderator)
Maria Payan, Co-Founder, Sentinels of the Eastern Shore Health (SESH)
Shashawnda Campbell, Environmental Justice Coordinator, South Baltimore Community Land Trust, and Co-Founder, “Free Your Voice”
Greg Sawtell, Director, Zero Waste Just Transition, South Baltimore Community Land Trust
Meleny Thomas, Founder and Executive Director of the South Baltimore Community Land Trust
Walkiria Pool, President, Centro de Apoyo Familiar (CAF)

2C: Agency Environmental Justice Scorecard and Workshop (Charles Carroll A)
Vivek Ravichandran, PhD Student, CEEJH, Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland

2D: Park Equity Mapper Workshop (Benjamin Banneker A)
Bukola Agboola, GIS Specialist, CEEJH, Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland

2E: Building Organizational Capacity and Durability: The Frontline Resource Institute (FRI) (Atrium)
Rachel Marston, Community Capacity Center, Tom Graff Fellow, Environmental Defense Fund
Katlyn Turner, Founder, KT Consulting

2F: Mid-Atlantic Environmental Justice Screening Tool Workshop I (Juan Jimenez)
Haile Tadesse, GIS Specialist, CEEJH, Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland

Concurrent Sessions III | 3:00 P.M. - 4:15 P.M.

3A: Legal Tools to Advance Environmental Justice (Charles Carroll A)

Jay Monteverde, Director, US Environmental Justice Program, Namati
Vernice Miller-Travis, Vice-President, The Metropolitan Group

3B: Maryland Climate Equity and Health Mapper Workshop (Juan Jimenez)
Bukola Agboola, GIS Specialist, CEEJH, Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland

3C: MATCH Climate Action Planning Guide Workshop (Atrium)
Pamela Bingham, Operations Manager, CEEJH, University of Maryland
Wandra Ashley-Williams, Maryland Regional Director, Climate X-Change
Bill Bohn, Lynchburg (VA) Rising project
Leslie King, Lynchburg (VA) Rising project

3D: EPA Region III TCTAC: Grant Writing 1 on 1 Workshop III (Prince George’s)
Paul Kavanaugh, Grant Specialist, CEEJH, Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland
Jen Cotting, Director, Environmental Finance Center (EFC), University of Maryland

3E: MyBlockCounts Workshop (Margaret Brent A)
Eli Straussman, GIS Specialist, CEEJH, Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland

3F: Climate Justice Fellows Session IV (Benjamin Banneker A)
Arielle Wharton, Climate Change Specialist, CEEJH (moderator)
Stephanie Willett, Environmental Protection Specialist (retired), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Kirsten Purnell, Technical Assistant, DOI-OSMRE
Aminah Oladapo, Advisory Board Member, Moco Green New Deal
Julie Jimenez, Community Advocate & CEEJH Fellow

Closing Plenary | 4:30 P.M. - 5:45 P.M.

Moving from the Conference of the Parties to the Conference of the People in the Fight for Climate Justice (Hybrid)(Grand Ballroom)
Sacoby Wilson, Director, Community Engagement, Environmental Justice, and Health (CEEJH), School of Public Health, University of Maryland (moderator)
Mildred M. McClain, Executive Director and Founder, Harambee House Inc.
Carolina Ballesteros, Indigenous Communities Sustainability Advocate and Strategist
Elizabeth Yeampierre, Executive Director, Uprose
Stephanie Miles-Richardson, Director, Master of Public Health Program, NAAMorehouse School of Medicine
Marinel Ubaldo, Founder, Youth Leaders for Environment Action Federation

Post-Symposium Celebration | 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Colony Ballroom