Your Participation is Needed

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), in partnership with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), will hold public hearings for your region on June 2 and June 15, 2022, to receive public input on the Draft Disadvantaged Communities Criteria and advance the finalization of the criteria to help guide the implementation of the State's nation-leading Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.

All New Yorkers are encouraged to provide input on the criteria that will help advance Environmental Justice and guide the climate programs and projects to reduce air pollution and climate-altering greenhouse gas emissions, provide economic development opportunities, and target clean energy and energy efficiency investments.

Individuals participating in hearings and providing comments will be given two minutes to speak. Lengthy statements should be submitted in writing and summarized for oral presentation. If in-person hearings cannot be held due to changing COVID-19 health and safety guidelines, hearings will shift to virtual at the same date and time.

Virtual Public Hearing Finger Lakes/Southern Tier

Event Date: Thursday, June 2, 2022, 6 p.m. ET
Event Address: Via WebEx
Call In Number: 518-549-0500
Event Password: DACHearing-2022
Event Number: 2348 291 6486

Virtual Public Hearing Central NY/Mohawk Valley

Event Date: Wednesday, June 15, 2022, 6 p.m. ET
Event Address: Via WebEx
Call In Number: 518-549-0500
Event Password: DAC-Hearing2022
Event Number: 2346 475 5880

New York's Climate Justice Working Group (CJWG), which consists of representatives from environmental justice groups from across the State and representatives of several State agencies, voted in December to release the draft criteria for identifying disadvantaged communities for public review with a 120-day public comment period that ends July 7, 2022. The State is holding a total of 11 public hearings with four in-person hearings and seven virtual hearings.

Pre-registration for this hearing is strongly encouraged but not required. Each participant will be given two minutes to provide public comment. Priority in speaking will be given to those who pre-register based on their place of residence for the regional hearings. Individuals can pre-register using the online form.

All persons, organizations, corporations, and government entities are encouraged to attend the public hearings and submit oral or written comments. Lengthy statements should be submitted in writing and summarized for oral presentation. PowerPoint presentations are not allowed, but individuals may provide written supporting documents or visuals.

Members of the public who want to provide oral comments must attend a hearing. Equal weight will be given to oral and written statements. All hearings will be professionally recorded and transcribed as part of the official record and posted on the Climate Act website.

Written comments can be submitted through July 7, 2022, via the online public comment form, Draft Disadvantaged Communities Criteria Public Comment Period, via email to DACComments@dec.ny.gov, or via U.S. Mail to Attention: Draft DAC Comments, NYS DEC, Attn. Office of Environmental Justice, 625 Broadway, 14th Floor, Albany NY 12233. For more information about the Climate Justice Working Group, visit the Climate Act website.