The webinar will provide a basic primer on the environmental justice movement, an overview of the Community Engineering Corps (CECorps) program, and some specific examples of how CECorps volunteers have assisted marginalized communities in obtaining access to essential services. It will detail how volunteers can get involved in CECorps projects and will also solicit input from attendees as to how the CECorps program can better foster partnerships with communities of diverse race, color, and national origin.
“America is segregated and so is pollution. Race and class still matter and map closely with pollution, unequal protection, and vulnerability. Today, zip code is still the most potent predictor of an individual’s health and well-being. Individuals who physically live on the “wrong side of the tracks” are subjected to elevated environmental health threats and more than their fair share of preventable diseases. Still, too many people and communities have the ‘wrong complexion for protection.’” —Dr. Robert Bullard, Texas Southern University
The environmental justice movement is one that has been decades in the making and is of the utmost importance in today’s conversations about health, equity, and access to basic services. Beginning in the 1980s with the passionate leadership of individuals like Dr. Bullard, the movement has become a focal point of growing interest within EPA offices and leadership. The EPA’s website describes environmental justice 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.” Created in 1992, the Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) coordinates EPA efforts to address the needs of vulnerable populations by decreasing environmental burdens, increasing environmental benefits, and working collaboratively to build healthy, sustainable communities. AWWA has been a longstanding partner with EPA and water utilities across the world in protecting public health through safer and more secure drinking water. In recent decades, AWWA’s focus has broadened to encompass marginalized communities that struggle with drinking water challenges. AWWA has explored avenues of assistance through a variety of partnerships and grant programs, such as the Community Engineering Corps (CECorps).
This webinar will examine the role of AWWA in the space of environmental justice, what tools are resources may be a fit to provide value in this space, and to solicit input from AWWA membership as to how the CECorps and AWWA might play a more supportive role in providing high-quality drinking water services to marginalized communities throughout the United States.
Speakers will be announced soon.
Registration is per person, and allows webinar access for one person on one computer. All registrants will receive a link to view the webinar recording, within 7 days after airing.
Certificates of Completion are available if viewed in full. Certificates can be accessed self-service by following the instructions at www.awwa.org/credits. Contact your licensing agency to see if they will accept your Certificate of Completion.
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