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| Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice | |
|---|---|
| Name | Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice |
| Founded | 1990s |
| Headquarters | Hartford, Connecticut |
| Region served | Connecticut |
| Focus | Environmental justice, public health, policy advocacy |
Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice is a nonprofit advocacy organization based in Connecticut focused on addressing disproportionate environmental burdens in communities of color and low-income neighborhoods. The coalition has engaged in community organizing, policy advocacy, and coalition-building with a range of civil rights, public health, and environmental groups to influence state and municipal decision-making. Its work intersects with statewide regulatory processes, federal environmental statutes, and local planning initiatives.
The coalition emerged from grassroots activism in the 1990s linked to contemporaneous campaigns by Environmental Justice Movement leaders, Natural Resources Defense Council allies, and community groups responding to industrial siting controversies in cities such as New Haven, Bridgeport, and Hartford. Early efforts connected to landmark events including the adoption of principles from the United Church of Christ Commission for Racial Justice report and the expansion of environmental justice provisions following actions by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and advocacy by organizations like Greenpeace and Sierra Club. Over subsequent decades the coalition has worked alongside labor organizations such as the AFL–CIO affiliates, civil rights groups including the NAACP, public health advocates from institutions like Yale School of Public Health, and university research centers studying disparate pollution exposures.
The coalition’s mission emphasizes equitable protection from pollution and access to environmental benefits, aligning with frameworks advanced by the Environmental Protection Agency's environmental justice office, the state environmental justice programs, and national directives such as executive orders issued by administrations including the Clinton administration and the Obama administration. Its stated goals include reducing exposure to industrial emissions regulated under statutes like the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act, promoting hazardous waste siting reforms similar to those advocated after the Love Canal crisis, and ensuring representation in land-use decisions influenced by municipal bodies such as Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and metropolitan planning organizations.
Programs have included community air monitoring modeled on protocols developed by research partners at Yale University and University of Connecticut, lead remediation advocacy inspired by cases like Flint, and campaigns for equitable transit investments in coordination with transit authorities such as Metro-North Railroad and metropolitan planning organizations. Initiatives have also involved legal strategies paralleling litigation pursued by groups such as Earthjustice and policy proposals informed by analyses used in Environmental Defense Fund reports. Educational workshops have referenced curricula from public health entities including Centers for Disease Control and Prevention collaborations and workforce development tied to labor training programs championed by Service Employees International Union locals.
The coalition operates as a networked nonprofit with a board of directors, an executive director, and advisory committees drawing leaders from municipal advocacy groups like Nine Lives of New Haven and statewide organizations including the Connecticut Roundtable on Climate and Jobs. Leadership has historically included community organizers who have participated in statewide commissions convened by governors such as Governor Dannel Malloy and advisors with ties to academic centers like the Yale School of the Environment. Governance practices mirror nonprofit standards promoted by organizations like Independent Sector and compliance expectations from the Internal Revenue Service for 501(c)(3) entities.
The coalition has influenced rulemaking at the Connecticut General Assembly and regulatory decisions at the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection through testimony, technical comments, and coalition campaigns similar to successful efforts by groups like Clean Water Action. Its advocacy contributed to increased mapping of environmental burden via tools akin to the Environmental Protection Agency's EJSCREEN and to adoption of community benefit agreements modeled after precedent cases in other states. The group has supported legislation referencing siting criteria, cumulative impact assessment concepts debated in forums including the National Environmental Policy Act processes, and engagement in federal grant competitions administered by the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Partnerships span neighborhood associations, faith-based organizations such as local United Church of Christ congregations, health institutions including Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, and regional coalitions like the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management. The coalition has collaborated with academic partners at University of Connecticut, Yale University, and community colleges to conduct participatory research, and coordinated with national networks such as the Movement Strategy Center and People’s Climate Movement for broader campaigns. Local outreach efforts have used multilingual materials and community health worker models promoted by organizations like Partners In Health to engage residents across municipalities from Stamford to New London.
Funding sources have included private foundations comparable to Ford Foundation, project grants from federal agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, and donations from local philanthropic entities similar to the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. Fiscal oversight follows nonprofit accounting practices encouraged by groups like Nonprofit Finance Fund and reporting standards aligned with requirements from the Internal Revenue Service. The coalition has also leveraged in-kind support through university partnerships and volunteer contributions coordinated with labor and faith networks.
Category:Environmental organizations based in Connecticut