1. About the MPCA
  2. Questions and assistance
  3. Assistance
  4. MPCA and environmental justice
  5. MPCA Environmental Justice Advisory Group

Environmental Justice Advisory Group meetings

Environmental Justice Advisory Group meetings

Tuesday, Feb. 5 — MPCA St. Paul Office
520 Lafayette Road North

12:30 – 2 p.m. — Greetings and meet with Commissioner Bishop

2:00 – 2:30 p.m. — Air Legislative Report Equity Highlights

2:30 – 3:00 p.m. — Improve Air Quality in Population Centers (IAQPC)

3:00 – 3:15 p.m. — MPCA 2019 EJ Steering Team (internal) Workplan

Break 3:15pm

3:30 – 3:45 p.m. — Hiring, training, recruitment and retention:

3:45 – 4:00 p.m. — Updates:  Polymet, others as requested by EJAG members

  • Next meeting scheduled for Apr. 9 — 1:00 – 5:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2018 — MPCA St. Paul Office
Special meeting on the Enbridge Line 3 MPCA Permit and Certification public engagement process for interested EJ Advisory Group members and other interested parties.

Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018 — MPCA St. Paul Office

12:00 – 12:30 p.m. — Greetings, how is everyone, check-in, community updates and lunch

12:30 – 1:40 p.m. — Discussion on transition into a new administration

1:40 – 2:00 p.m. — Life and breath: David and Kathy

2:00 – 2:20 p.m. — Air Quality in Population Centers: Hassan

2:20 – 2:35 p.m. — Line 3: Melissa and Bill

2:35 – 3:00 p.m. — Hiring, training, recruitment and retention: Jennifer, Jose Luis

3:00 – 3:30 p.m. — Permitting: all EJAG

3:30 – 3:45 p.m. — Annual Report

3:45 – 4:00 p.m. — Bike Rack Topics (may need to defer to next meeting or hold separate call)

  • EPA EJ groups visit
  • VW Settlement

Thursday, May 31, 2018 The Suites Hotel — Duluth, Minn.

9:00 – 9:30 a.m. — Ned and Jose Luis EJAG voice in our work at the MPCA, new roles

9:30 – 10:15 a.m. — EJ goals for 2018

10:15 – 11:15 — Discussion on Advisory Group member’s terms, rules and new members and facilitation

11:15 – 12:00 p.m. — American Indian Community Housing Organization

12:00 – 1:00 p.m. — Lunch

1:00 – 2:00 p.m. — Subgroup discussions

  • Permitting
  • Community engagement/ Outreach, public participation, and engagement

2:00 – 2:45 p.m. — Hiring, training, recruitment and retention

2:45 – 3:00 p.m. — Annual Report: All members led by subgroup members Halston, Mari and Sarah

3:00 – 3:30 p.m. — Duluth EJ voice

3:30 – 4:00 — Bike Rack Topics (may need to defer to next meeting or hold separate call)

  • MPCA's response to emergency / accidental releases of hazardous substances especially as relates to EJ communities — MPCA has a group that responds quickly to accidents
  • Line 3 update
  • Wild Rice sulfate — regulatory update
  • VW Update, including questions about source of energy for electric vehicles

4:00 – 4:30 p.m. — Next steps, upcoming meetings, wrap up

Tuesday, January 30, 2018 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

MPCA St. Paul Office

Agenda

12:00 – 12:30 — Lunch and conversation

12:30 – 1:15 — 2018 Work Plan

1:15 – 2:00 — Advisory Group Subcommittee discussion

  • Group expectations and ground rules (for group participation), division of labor
  • Volkswagen
  • Community Engagement and outreach
  • Other topics

2:00 – 2:10 — Break

2:10 – 2:55 — EJ Framework implementation Annual Report

2:55 – 3:25 — Advisory group tenure

3:25 – 3:50 — Updates

  • Volkswagen settlement
  • Environmental Justice Outreach Coordinator position update
  • Honoring Annie Young
  • Line 3 update
  • Smith Foundry
  • Group updates?

3:50 – 4:00 — Checkout

Monday, December 4, 2017 — 12:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Springbrook Nature Center

Agenda

12:00 – 12:15 — Check-in, lunch
12:15 – 12:30 — Updates, etc.

  • VW Settlement and EJ Advisory next steps
  • Others

12:30 – 12:45 — EJ staff vacancy — update and spreading the word
12:45 – 1:30 — Overview of Met Council and Minn. Department of Health plans
1:30 – 2:00 — Community Engagement Strategy — Principles and key elements

Break

2:15 – 3:30 — Community Engagement Strategy — Principles and key elements, continued
3:30 – 4:30 — Community Engagement — Ideas for focus on permitting
4:30 – 5:30 — MPCA 2018 EJ work plan — review and provide feedback on plans for 2018
5:30 – 6:00 — Wrap up and next steps

Monday, October 16, 2017 — 2:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

East Phillips Community and Cultural Center

Agenda

2:00 – 2:15 — Welcome, check-in
2:15 – 2:45 — Updates, short items

  • Northern Metals
  • Line 3 pipeline
  • Water fee advisory committee

2:45 – 3:15 — Volkswagon settlement

  • Report on EJ Advisory Group-hosted listening session
  • Next steps

3:15 – 3:45 — MPCA citizen monitoring of lakes, rivers and streams

  • Overview of programs
  • Advisory group thoughts on how to involve more low-income, people of color

3:45 – 4:45 — EJ Advisory Group one-year reflections, goals/changes for the coming year

4:45 – 7:15 — Community Engagement Strategy work session
7:15 – 7:30 — Wrap up and next steps

Tuesday, August 15, 2017 — 2:15 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

MPCA St. Paul Office

Agenda

2:15 – 2:25 — Greetings, how is everyone, check-in, etc.
2:25 – 2:45 — Updates

2:45 – 3:00 — Report from VW settlement engagement subgroup
3:00 – 4:00 — Meet MPCA EJ Lateral Team members, discussion about integrating EJ into their work
4:00 – 4:20 — Discuss next steps for assisting MPCA with developing community engagement strategy/practices
4:20 – 4:30 — Wrap up and next steps

Thursday, June 22, 2017 — 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Rail River Folk School
303 Rail St., Bemidji, Minn.

Agenda

8:30 –9:00 — Greetings, how is everyone, check-in, etc.
9:00 – 9:30 — Reflections on NEJAC meeting and EI Awards, other updates
9:30 – 11:00 — How should the MPCA measure success of EJ work?
11:00 – 11:30 — Report from VW settlement engagement subgroup and discussion
11:30 – 1:30 — Lunch and presentation/discussion with young native women/mothers organizing around drinking water issues in Bemidji 
1:30 – 3:00 — Begin discussion on ways to improve MPCA engagement of EJ communities
3:00 – 3:45 — Check-in on group effectiveness, etc.
3:45 – 4:00 — Wrap up and next steps

Tuesday, April 18, 2017 — 4:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

MPCA St. Paul office — Room 100
520 Lafayette Rd. North

Agenda

4:30 - 4:45 — Greetings, how is everyone, check-in, etc.
4:45 - 6:00 — Advisory Group contribution to MPCA Annual Report
7:00 – 7:15 — Confirm group operation and charter
7:15 – 7:45 — Introduction to possible ways to measure success
7:45 – 8:00 — Misc. updates
8:00 – 8:30 — Wrap up and next steps

Monday, March 6, 2017 — 1:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

MPCA St. Paul office — Room 100
520 Lafayette Rd. North

Agenda

1:00 –1:30 — Greetings, how is everyone, check-in, etc.
1:30 - 2:30 — Advisory Group Charter
2:30 – 3:30 — Identifying areas of concern for environmental justice
3:30 – 4:30 — Presentation on cumulative impacts
4:30 – 5:30 — How do we measure success?
5:30 – 6:15 — Break for evening meal
6:15 – 7:30 — MPCA EJ Framework Annual Report and EJAG review/contribution
7:30 – 7:45 — Planning for EPA’s National Environmental Justice Advisory Committee Meeting
7:45 – 8:00 — Wrap up and next steps

Thursday Jan. 5, 2017 — 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Springbrook Nature Center
100 85th Ave., N.W.
Fridley, MN 55432

Agenda

9:00 – 10:00 — Welcome and activity to get to know each other more
10:00 – 11:00 — MPCA EJ Framework Annual Report
11:00 – 12:00 — Advisory Group Role
12:00 – 1:00 — Lunch
1:00 – 2:00 — Advisory Group Role, continued
2:00 – 3:15 — How do we measure success?
3:15 – 3:45 — EPA’s National Environmental Justice Advisory Committee (NEJAC) Mpls. in April – Discuss possible side meetings/events
3:45 – 4:00 — Wrap up and next steps

Friday, Oct. 28, 2016 — 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center
2001 Plymouth Ave North, Minneapolis 55411
Room 107

Agenda

  1.  Welcome, MPCA Commissioner Stine
  2. Advisory group member introductions, expectations, etc. 
  3. MPCA and Environmental Justice Framework overview, Commissioner Stine
  4. Advisory Group role and function, members
  5. Minnesota Environmental Congress — Friday, Feb. 3, 2017, discuss strategies for ensuring diverse attendance
  6. Planning for future meetings