Disadvantaged Communities Criteria
New York State is undertaking the most ambitious effort in the U.S. to meet the challenge of climate change. New York’s Climate Act recognizes that climate change doesn’t affect all communities equally. The Climate Act charged the Climate Justice Working Group (CJWG) with the development of criteria to identify disadvantaged communities to ensure that frontline and otherwise underserved communities benefit from the state’s historic transition to cleaner, greener sources of energy, reduced pollution and cleaner air, and economic opportunities.
On December 13, 2021, the CJWG voted to release the draft disadvantaged communities criteria for public comment, in addition to an interactive map and a list of disadvantaged communities statewide. March 9, 2022 marked the beginning of a 120-day public comment period for New Yorkers to provide feedback on the draft before the criteria is finalized. The public comment period was extended to August 5, 2022.
Draft Disadvantaged Communities Criteria Overview Fact Sheet
- Draft Disadvantaged Communities Criteria Overview Fact Sheet [PDF]
- Draft Disadvantaged Communities Criteria Overview Fact Sheet – Arabic [PDF]
- Draft Disadvantaged Communities Criteria Overview Fact Sheet – Bengali [PDF]
- Draft Disadvantaged Communities Criteria Overview Fact Sheet – Chinese [PDF]
- Draft Disadvantaged Communities Criteria Overview Fact Sheet – Haitian Creole [PDF]
- Draft Disadvantaged Communities Criteria Overview Fact Sheet – Italian [PDF]
- Draft Disadvantaged Communities Criteria Overview Fact Sheet – Korean [PDF]
- Draft Disadvantaged Communities Criteria Overview Fact Sheet – Polish [PDF]
- Draft Disadvantaged Communities Criteria Overview Fact Sheet – Russian [PDF]
- Draft Disadvantaged Communities Criteria Overview Fact Sheet – Spanish [PDF]
- Draft Disadvantaged Communities Criteria Overview Fact Sheet – Yiddish [PDF]
Draft Disadvantaged Communities Criteria Documents
- Interactive Map of Communities That Meet the Draft Disadvantaged Communities Criteria
- Draft List of Disadvantaged Communities [PDF]
- Technical Documentation on the Draft Disadvantaged Communities Criteria [PDF]
- Summary Documentation on the Draft Disadvantaged Communities Criteria [PDF]
- Technical Documentation Appendix: Draft Disadvantaged Communities Indicators Workbook [XLSX]
Supplemental Materials
- Frequently Asked Questions [PDF]
- Other Climate Justice Working Group Meeting Materials
- Download Draft Disadvantaged Communities Data and Shapefiles
Public Hearings
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, in partnership with NYSERDA held 11 public hearings across the State to receive public input on the draft disadvantaged communities criteria under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act). Four in-person hearings and seven virtual hearings were conducted to receive public input.
Equal weight is given to written and oral comments. The following table reflects the schedule for the draft disadvantaged communities criteria hearings.
Location and Schedule
The below schedule reflects the start times for the public hearings. These meetings will last until the last attendee has the opportunity to provide comments.
| Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, May 18, 2022 | 6:00 PM | WebEx – Long Island |
| Wednesday, May 25, 2022 | 12:00 PM | WebEx – New York City |
| Thursday, May 26, 2022
Beulah Baptist Church Capacity of Venue Up to 85 may attend this hearing. Attendees are encouraged to pre-register. Transportation Vehicle Parking: Health and Safety All attendees must wear masks per the venue. Disposable face masks and hand sanitizer will be |
6:00 PM | Poughkeepsie |
| Thursday, June 2, 2022 | 6:00 PM | WebEx – Finger Lakes / Southern Tier |
| Friday, June 10, 2022 Grace Baptist Church 52 S 6th Ave., Mt. Vernon, NY 10550 Capacity of Venue: Up to 100 may attend this hearing. Attendees are encouraged to pre-register. Transportation: Vehicle Parking: Health and Safety: Proof of vaccination is required by the venue. Disposable face masks and hand sanitizer will be |
6:00 PM | Lower Hudson Valley |
| Tuesday, June 14, 2022 DEC Region 2 Offices, Queens 4740 21st St, Long Island City, NY 11101 Capacity of Venue: Up to 80 may attend this hearing. Transportation: Public Transportation Options:
Vehicle Parking: Health and Safety: Proof of vaccination is not required by the venue. Disposable face masks and hand sanitizer will be available at the event. |
6:00 PM | New York City |
| Wednesday, June 15, 2022 | 6:00 PM | WebEx – Central New York / Mohawk Valley |
| Tuesday, June 21, 2022 | 12:00 PM | WebEx – Capital Region/North Country |
| Thursday, June 23, 2022 PUSH Buffalo, School 77, 429 Plymouth Avenue, Suite 1 Buffalo 14213 716-884-0356 |
6:00 PM | Buffalo |
| Wednesday, June 29, 2022 | 12:00 PM | WebEx – Hudson Valley |
| Thursday, June 30, 2022 | 12:00 PM | WebEx – Western New York |
Information and Educational Sessions
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), in partnership with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), hosted three virtual and in-person information and educational sessions on the State’s draft disadvantaged communities (DAC) criteria on Wednesday, April 13, Tuesday, April 19, and Tuesday, June 21.
The public education sessions were an opportunity for interested stakeholders to review the CJWG’s process and methodology for selecting DACs and to answer technical questions on the draft criteria and maps. These were not public hearings to receive public comments. The recordings of those sessions are available here:
- Session 1: Wednesday, Apr. 13, 2022 – 12:00 pm E.T.
View Session Recording - Session 2: Tuesday, Apr 19, 2022 – 6:00 pm E.T.
View Session Recording