Environmental justice. Just what is it exactly? The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Environmental Justice defines it as “…the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies…”

Recently, almost 150 Marylanders—including officials, community and business leaders, and citizens—gathered at Morgan State University to examine the connections between land use development and processes, public health, and the environment—as well as the inherent environmental justice challenges. Socio-economic status, noise, traffic, design, pollution and other environmental factors all play a significant role on the health (literally and figuratively) of communities.

The one-day “Environment, Justice, and Health in the Planning Process: Strategies for Maryland” symposium was convened to develop a comprehensive state effort to improve planning, development, and public health assessments to reach sustainability goals. It also outlined the work of the Maryland Commission on Environmental Justice and Sustainable Communities (CEJSC), a fifteen-member group that includes state legislators, cabinet secretaries, and governor appointees representing six interest groups—environmental advocacy, public health, local government, regulated business, impacted community, and the public.

The CEJSC is charged with creating healthy, safe, economically and environmentally sound communities, empowering citizens in the process and thus helping improve their quality of life. As keynote speaker Charles Lee, director of the EPA Office of Environmental Justice, explained, “…We are working to build communities that are cleaner, healthier, and more livable. Nowhere is this effort more meaningful than in minority and low-income communities, both urban and rural, disproportionately burdened by pollution…”

Giving a voice to the often voiceless reminds me of something I heard this weekend at the Green Festival in a presentation given by Kevin Danaher, a co-founder of Global Exchange (an international human rights organization promoting social, economic and environmental justice). Discussing Fair Trade and the child slave labor prevalent in many countries, Danaher noted that there is no “them” out there—just us—and if you say the words over and over, it sounds like “justice.”  His message serves as an excellent reminder that environmental (as well as social and economic) justice is for everyone.