§ 48-0111 — Environmental justice interagency coordinating council

§ 48-0111. Environmental justice interagency coordinating council.\n 1. There is hereby established an environmental justice interagency\ncoordinating council which shall have the power and duty to:\n (a) coordinate the activities of agencies required to adopt an\nenvironmental justice policy pursuant to section 48-0109 of this article\nin development and implementation of such policies; and\n (b) serve as a clearinghouse for state agencies and the public for\ninformation on environmental justice policies, environmental justice\ncoordinators in state agencies and related activities of state agencies,\nand maintain information services, including but not limited to an\nInternet site and a toll-free telephone number, to inform the public on\nenvironmental justice.\n 2. The environmental justice coordinating council shall include the\ncommissioner; the commissioner of the department of economic\ndevelopment; the commissioner of the department of transportation; the\npresident of the environmental facilities corporation; the president of\nthe New York State energy research and development authority; the\nchairman of the public service commission; the chairman of the power\nauthority of the State of New York; or their designees; and every staff\nmember chosen by an agency to serve as environmental justice coordinator\npursuant to section 48-0109 of this article. The council shall consult\nwith the permanent environmental justice advisory group; representatives\nof minority and low-income communities, including community-based\norganizations that advise or assist minority and low-income communities\non environmental matters; representatives of businesses that hold\nstate-issued permits or otherwise operate subject to this chapter;\nrepresentatives of local governments; representatives of local, state,\nor national organizations promoting environmental conservation;\nresearchers and educators; and any other parties the council deems\nappropriate.\n 3. The coordinating council shall meet at least bi-annually and shall\ndesignate one of its members to serve as chairperson and one of its\nmembers to serve as secretary for the development and dissemination of\nminutes and reports. All such meetings shall be subject to the open\nmeetings law. At least one meeting annually shall be held jointly with\nthe permanent environmental justice advisory group established pursuant\nto section 48-0105 of this article. Each member shall be entitled to\ndesignate in writing a representative to attend meetings in his or her\nplace and to vote or otherwise act on his or her behalf in his or her\nabsence.\n