Bill > S1150

This bill establishes a process for designating and regulating environmental permits in "burdened communities," which are defined as areas within a municipality where at least half of the households are "low-income" (meaning their income is no more than 2.5 times the federal poverty level) and at least half of the residents belong to a "minority group" (defined as groups protected under federal civil rights laws). These communities must also have at least one "major facility" (a facility that emits air pollutants), a property on a list of known hazardous discharge sites, and a facility with permits related to water pollution, toxic catastrophe prevention, or solid waste management. The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) must conduct an environmental impact report, hold a public hearing, and consider community input before granting any new permit in a burdened community, and can deny a permit if it poses an unreasonable risk to public health or the environment, considering existing conditions. Additionally, the local municipal government must approve any project in a burdened community through an ordinance.