KU center to host listening session on environmental justice with EPA Region 7 Office

LAWRENCE — Join the KU Center for Environmental Policy, part of the Institute for Policy & Social Research at the University of Kansas, at 4 p.m. April 26 at The Commons for a listening session on environmental justice with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 7.

“The EPA is quite concerned about environmental justice and is working to identify and then address environmental disparities,” said Dietrich Earnhart, director of the KU environmental policy center.

This session will feature a discussion with a panel of students engaged in environmental issues. Discussion will center on environmental justice, a topic of concern for the EPA, and will cover how environmental burdens — extreme weather events driven by climate change, poor air and water quality, and exposure to toxins — are not equally felt by communities.

“Region 7 is excited about opportunities to reconnect with our communities after the long pause created by COVID-19,” said Meg McCollister, EPA Region 7 administrator. “Hearing from all of our communities is important, and this listening session provides a very unique opportunity to hear from students from all over the United States and even the world. The feedback that we gain from sessions like these will shape the efforts and focus of the EPA moving forward.”

All participants are welcome. For accommodations, contact thecommons@ku.edu. For questions, contact IPSR@ku.edu.