Sharmila L. Murthy

It is an honor to have my recent article “The CLCPA as a Catalyst for Prioritizing the Welfare of Disadvantaged Communities in New York’s Clean Energy Transition” featured in the latest edition of The New York Environmental Lawyer, a publication of the New York State Bar Association Environmental and Energy Law Section, among so many distinguished authors and contributors. The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA or Climate Act) was enacted over four years ago, on July 18, 2019 (effective January 1, 2020), positioning New York State as the nation’s leader in its efforts to phase out fossil fuels, build renewable energy, and electrify an entire economy. This article analyzes the state’s ongoing and evolving efforts to implement the requirements of this remarkable law. The collective efforts for a successful implementation among regulatory agencies, residents and advocates, industries and all other stakeholders might offer a beacon of hope to overburdened communities. These communities have been suffering decades-long harmful effects of environmental injustices and inequitable government decisions. Full article linked in the comments below 👇🏽 Thank you once again to the editors and the entire team at The New York Environmental Lawyer! #environmentaljustice #disadvantagedcommunities #cleanenergy #sustainablefuture

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Another great opportunity to hear about EPA science! Join us Nov 19th for a webinar on using airborne surveys to collect data on methane emissions from US landfills. https://lnkd.in/edq9M4dc The use of next generation emissions measurement (NGEM) technology is reducing uncertainty associated with quantifying landfill methane. Through a partnership with Carbon Mapper and NASA, remote sensing data were collected using aircraft to geolocate large leaks and to quantify methane emissions from over 20% of the 2600 landfills in the US. Over this past decade, innovations in NGEM technology for landfill applications have occurred increasing transparency and improving monitoring and mitigation. Today there is wider availability of remote sensing data from satellites and aircraft. Remote sensing data are being used to inform mitigation and best practices for minimizing fugitive loss. The data are also being used to inform landfill inspections and document emission reductions. EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD) is working with others at EPA, NGOs, industry, and academia to evaluate different technologies for quantifying and mitigating landfill methane. This webinar will provide an overview of ORD’s research program to evaluate NGEM technology to better detect and quantify landfill methane. Presenter Dr. Susan Thorneloe from EPA's Office of Research and Development Susan Thorneloe is a senior chemical engineer with EPA’s Office of Research and Development. Her 40-year career with EPA has focused on quantifying the impact on human health and the environment (HHE) and mitigation options for different source categories such as landfills, coal ash management, land treatment of refinery waste, waste-to-energy, composting, and contaminated soil and remediation of sites with mixtures of organics or metals. Susan’s career has resulted in tools and publications that are helping to better understand emissions and mitigation opportunities at landfills and other source categories.

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I’m thankful the Biden administration is funding this critically important work. There is a lot that climate scientists agree on in terms of medium and long-term increases in climate risk exposure and at a pretty granular scale geospatially. But the big unknown is how an increase in average risk exposure over 10-100 years translates to actual increases in the number of or intensity of extreme weather events. You know, what people and communities actually experience and need to adapt to. I’m hoping for some insights into the Great Lakes and our unique climate here in the Midwest. So many unknowns and “known unknowns” here. #ClimateRisk

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We are pleased to have released, "Voting Rights of the Formerly Incarcerated: Knowledge, Outreach, and Data Patterns of Qualified Electors in Pennsylvania," as directed by House Resolution 47 of 2023. The report examines when and how persons involved in the criminal justice system lose their right to vote and how those rights can be restored. In general, only a felony conviction can cause one to lose voting rights in Pennsylvania, and the disenfranchisement is automatically revoked upon completion of the sentence of incarceration. Commission staff organized and analyzed over nine million voter registration records covering the past 20 years and cross-referenced them to two decades of records for over 235,000 individuals released from Pennsylvania's correctional institutions. Four recommendations are included: 1. Codify the felony disenfranchisement judicial opinion. Current statutes had been found unconstitutional. 2. Improve access to voting materials for inmates of county and local jails. 3. Require non-governmental organizations providing reentry services to include voting rights education. 4. Add notice of voting rights to criminal court proceedings. The full report can be found on our website: http://jsg.legis.state.pa.usSee less

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Excited to announce our new partnership with Veolia, working together to help bring clean, affordable and reliable water and sanitation to small, rural and disadvantaged communities.

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🌍🚨 Attention, Earth advocates! 🚨🌿 This #EarthDay, let's pledge to protect our communities from toxic threats! Our latest report exposes the urgent need for infrastructure investments and key policy changes to halt the devastating flow of heavy metals, "forever chemicals," and other hazardous substances into our neighborhoods during extreme weather events. We CAN build resilient communities and safeguard our homes, health, and environment. Dive into the details. https://lnkd.in/gi6NEjZZ ✍ Amy Sinden, Katlyn Schmitt, Marcha Isabelle Chaudry #CenterForProgressiveReform #Policy #ClimatePolicy #PolicyAnalyst #EarthDay2024 #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #ClimateAction #ExtremeWeather #ForeverChemicals #RisingFloodwaters #PolicyChange #PolicyAnalysis

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Deadline Alert: Appications for the Equity & Diversity Fund are due this Friday, October 18, 2024 by 5:00 p.m. PT The goal of the Equity & Diversity Fund is to increase community safety by reducing bias, hate, discrimination, and violence against communities disproportionately impacted by hate crimes and oppression. To achieve this goal, funded programs will increase the awareness, inclusion of, and a sense of belonging among, the diverse cultural communities in the county. The funding categories are: 1. Community Safety and Violence Prevention 2. Healing-Centered Practices 3. Intergroup Relations 4. Arts-based Cultural Performance and Community Events Proposers’ Questions Proposers may submit questions in writing and/or requests for additional information regarding this RFP via the email below. SCG reserves the sole right to determine the timing and content of the responses to all questions and requests for additional information. SCG may respond to individual inquiries and then post replies to all questions by the posting date. Contact: Erica Rey, Director, Equity Arts and Culture at SCG  Email: [email protected] Please include Subject Line: Question(s) ARDI RFP

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Hoping this summary is useful for my #drinkingwater colleagues. Looking forward to working with EPA on state implementation of this new rule!

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In this Client Alert, Victor Baltera and Gregory Sampson discuss the two straw proposals that the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) Office has released to update its climate resiliency and greenhouse gas (GHG) policies. The proposals aim to enhance analysis during project review of climate adaptation and mitigation strategies as well as climate impacts from projects. Public comments are due by September 16, 2024, followed by a formal regulatory proposal from MEPA, with final policies expected in early 2025. To read this alert, click here: https://lnkd.in/eNvbKSXb #WhatsYourNext

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The intersection of climate change and mass migration is going to be a fascinating thing to watch in coming years. #water #watermanagement #waterpolicy #waterights #waterlaw #drought #aridification #climatechange #climateandwater #ClydeSnowWater

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AWWA/AMWA file petition for review of new PFAS rule American Water Works Association and the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) on June 7 filed a petition with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to review U.S. EPA’s Final PFAS Drinking Water Rule.  They stated "AWWA and AMWA share EPA’s goal of protecting public health. The associations are concerned, however, that EPA did not rely on the best available science and the most recent occurrence data and used novel approaches as the basis for portions of the rule. The petitioners believe the rule underestimates nationwide costs and adds to affordability challenges without achieving the public health outcomes we all seek." Many would agree with AWWA and AMWA's concern that EPA did not use the best science in setting the PFAS MCLs. It we be interesting to see how the Supreme Court's upcoming decision on the Chevron doctrine may affect the court's deference to the Agency on these MCLs. #AWWA #AMWA #MCLS #PFAS #EPA https://lnkd.in/gH6gnaUQ

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Following through on Biden's day one order to prioritize climate impacts, EPA dropped four major final power plant rules yesterday with compliance deadlines over the next decade. Multi-media regulations for air, water, and waste for the utility sector will have significant climate impacts as the power industry retires its coal plants and moves toward cleaner energy sources coupled with more stringent effluent discharge limits and requirements for implementing 90% carbon capture and sequestration. Stinson LLP's Environmental Practice group has summarized each of the rules in this alert and is ready to help clients navigate the changing regulatory landscape based on our breadth of experience over the past decade.

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The Climate Literacy Guide has been updated. Explore below and share widely.

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Live/work in Region 1 ("New England")? Spread the word, especially to those that might not otherwise have access to this information! "The Healthy Communities Grant Program is EPA New England's main competitive grant program to work directly with communities to reduce environmental risks to protect and improve human health and the quality of life. "The Healthy Communities Grant Program will achieve this through identifying and funding projects that: 💚 Target resources to benefit communities at risk [areas needing to create community resilience, environmental justice areas of potential concern, sensitive populations (e.g., children, elderly, tribes, urban and rural residents, and others at increased risk)]. 💚 Assess, understand, and reduce environmental and human health risks. Increase collaboration through partnerships and community-based projects. 💚 Build institutional and community capacity to understand and solve environmental and human health problems. 💚 Achieve measurable environmental and human health benefits. "To qualify as eligible projects under the Healthy Communities Grant Program, proposed projects must: (1) be located in and/or directly benefit one or more of the Target Investment Areas; and (2) identify how the proposed project will achieve measurable environmental and/or public health results in one or more of the Target Program Areas. Detailed descriptions of the target areas can be found in the annual RFA." More information here - https://lnkd.in/eg-SybPP

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Since its launch in 2022, the Cape Cod Commission’s Freshwater Initiative has made significant strides. This science-based, information-driven planning process is designed to promote actionable steps to protect and restore Cape Cod’s freshwater resources. Commission staff is set to complete a draft strategy, outlining recommendations and implementation plans, later this year. While efforts such as the Regional Pond Monitoring Program and remote sensing project will continue, data and findings inform articulation of the region’s freshwater challenges, as well as recommendations and priorities. The strategy will be complemented by resources to support implementation, such as a water quality data portal and pond buffer guidelines, both of which are currently in development. Read more: https://cccom.link/oct-fw

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Are you interested in getting more involved with environmental justice advocacy at the grassroots level? Do you want to connect with other Delawareans who care about the connections between racism, classism, environmental hazards, and climate change? Join us for an environmental justice interest meeting over zoom on Tuesday, December 17th at 7PM! This meeting will be a place for folks who are interested in creating networks of care and learning that allow us to band together and create new solutions for climate change, environmental racism, and classism. We’ll be focusing especially on how we can work on these big problems at a local level. Here’s what to expect from the Environmental Justice Interest Meeting: • Group introductions and review of community norms • Brief (2-3 minute) overview of past advocacy efforts through the Green New Deal Campaign • An “issue-cutting” exercise where participants will work together to break down the topic of “Environmental Justice” into several smaller challenges that can be translated into concrete actions • Participants can sign up to take on tasks/roles for a Environmental Justice-focused campaign Join me at tinyurl.com/EJInterestDE

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