This summer/fall, we will be holding various working sessions to start further developing the different parts and concepts of the new cumulative impacts law that applies to new facilities as well as some current facilities that are expanding or need to renew an air permit.
This in-person meeting will build upon the community benefit agreements working session we held in August and focus on community engagement and communities' role in creating community benefit agreements. A community benefit agreement is an agreement that is unique to each neighborhood and the impacted communities and will become a legal and enforceable contract between the MPCA and the permittee. You did not have to attend the first working session on community benefit agreements in order to attend this working session.
Community members are invited to arrive starting at 5 p.m. if they are interested in having additional time to review handouts before small group discussions and partake in a meal provided by the MPCA. We will start with a brief presentation by MPCA staff at 5:30 p.m. and then break into small groups for the remainder of the evening. All are welcome to join us.
Can’t join us in-person? Working session materials will be available digitally after the session for additional feedback. A link to the materials and online feedback portal will be sent out via the email list after October 23 and will be available for approximately 30 days. After that, MPCA staff will take the feedback received and start refining these concepts.
To reduce barriers to participation, the MPCA will provide optional incentives to each community member who participates in this working session in the form of a $50 gift card. This incentive is meant to compensate attendees who are not attending in their capacity as a paid employee for an organization for their time and knowledge. All attendees who choose to take a card will need to sign a form attesting they are below the taxable income limit for state incentives. If you have any questions about these incentives, please email Alexa Golemo.
