FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                          ​                       

 

HARRISBURG – (October 29, 2021) – The Clean Power PA Coalition issued the following statement applauding Gov. Tom Wolf’s historic executive order to permanently establish the Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) to strengthen Pennsylvania’s efforts to address environmental justice and support low-income communities and communities of color that are adversely impacted by environmental issues with accompanying adverse health impacts:

 

“It is long past due for the Commonwealth to permanently formalize the effort to ensure that disadvantaged communities be included in conversations and decisions to protect our environment and the health and welfare of all families in Pennsylvania. Low-income communities and communities of color have borne the disproportionate burden of the effects of climate damage and environmental pollution, and the permanent codification of the Office of Environmental Justice is an important step towards ensuring that every Pennsylvanian can claim their constitutional right to a clean, healthy environment.

 

“We are encouraged by this movement in the right direction, but our coalition must emphasize that it is only an acknowledgement of the set of problems that must be addressed and an emphasis on a vehicle for tackling those long-standing problems. The hard work is only beginning, and our collective organizations are ready to engage and work together with partners in and out of government to find solutions.”

 

###