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State team previews "Mass Environmental Screen" tool; council solicits public comment
Summary
At the Environmental Justice Council meeting in Lemonster, state contractors and staff demonstrated the Mass Environmental Screen, a 30'indicator mapping tool designed to identify census blocks with cumulative environmental and climate vulnerability and invited public feedback and technical review.
State contractors and agency staff demonstrated a new mapping and analytic tool they said is intended to help identify communities facing cumulative environmental and climate-related burdens.
Kessel John of ERG opened the presentation, saying, "My name is Kessel John and I'm with ERG," and introduced the technical orientation and interpreter supports for the session. Presenters described the Mass Environmental Screen as a composite index that combines environmental exposure indicators, climate risk measures and socio-economic vulnerability into a single cumulative score to flag census blocks for further review and outreach.
Presenters said the screen combines roughly 30 indicators grouped into exposure, climate-risk and population-vulnerability components, then aggregates those components into a cumulative score; blocks at or above the roughly 75th-percentile threshold are designated for further attention. Agency staff emphasized the tool is an informational planning and engagement aid and not a standalone regulatory finding: presenters repeatedly noted the screen "is not a regulatory determination" and does not by itself establish violations of federal or state standards.
Public commenters at the meeting urged clearer documentation and more accessible interfaces. Catherine Rodrig, identified during public comment, asked for multilingual guidance and in-person assistance so community members can meaningfully use the tool. Commenters also urged that data and scoring be transparent, that assumptions be published, and that the state provide examples of how the screen would inform permitting or investment decisions.
Officials described next steps: a public webinar on cumulative impact analysis, publication of the screening application and technical documentation, and an open comment period. Staff said they will post methodology notes, indicator descriptions and example use cases online and will accept written comments through the web application.
The council did not take a formal vote on the screen at this meeting; presenters invited stakeholders to submit written feedback and to attend the scheduled webinar for a deeper technical review.
