MPCA forming advisory committee on environmental justice

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is forming a new advisory committee on environmental justice.

MPCA Commissioner John Linc Stine says the advisory group is one of several steps the agency is taking to integrate the idea of environmental justice into its programs. The agency also released a framework in December outlining environmental justice goals and strategies.

The MPCA will be hosting two information sessions in the Twin Cities next month before the May 16 application deadline. The agency is seeking candidates from diverse racial, cultural and geographical backgrounds.

The idea behind environmental justice is that pollution should not have a disproportionate impact on any group of people, and that all people — regardless of their race, color, national origin or income — should benefit from equal levels of environmental protection.