Newark, NJ – August 27, 2021 — Mayor Ras J. Baraka, along with 33 additional new members, have been appointed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to serve on the Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC), EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan announced. The 39-member LGAC will include 20 women, 16 people of color, and representation from 30 different states, Tribal nations, and U.S. territories, representing a diverse cross-section of cities, counties, towns, and communities across the United States.

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“I am grateful for the honor to work alongside my colleagues from across the country in solidarity with EPA Administrator Regan on critical environmental issues impacting local governments. Newarkers have been working tirelessly for many decades to combat environmental injustice and ensure public health protections for our residents,” said Mayor Baraka. “I believe environmental challenges should not and cannot be addressed in isolation from the other urgent matters affecting U.S. cities. As such, I am especially looking forward to working with President Biden’s administration to advance its key priorities including bold action to protect families from COVID-19, provide economic relief to American citizens, address our nation’s infrastructure challenges, tackle climate change, and advance racial equity and civil rights.”

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“I’m honored to welcome this diverse, highly qualified group of local leaders who will bring valuable insight and experience to the Agency,” said Mr. Regan. “EPA is counting on their input and collaboration to help achieve our mission to protect public health and the environment in every zip code. From tackling climate change to advancing environmental justice, we need local partners at the table to address our most pressing environmental challenges.”

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EPA received more than 150 nominations following a solicitation in March 2021. The committee’s first meeting will be planned for this fall.

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Appointments to the LGAC include:

The Honorable Leirion Gaylor Baird, Mayor, Lincoln, Nebraska (Chair)

The Honorable Ras J. Baraka, Mayor, Newark, New Jersey

The Honorable James Brainard, Mayor, Carmel, Indiana

Mr. Gary Brown, Director of Water and Sewerage Department, Detroit

The Honorable Deborah Cherry, Treasurer, Genesee County, Michigan

The Honorable Melissa Cribbins, Commissioner, Coos County, Oregon*

The Honorable José Carlos Aponte Dalmau, Mayor, Carol̒ina, Puerto Rico*

The Honorable Megan Dunn, Councilmember, Snohomish County, Washington

The Honorable Mark Fox, Chairman, Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nations (MHA), New Town, North Dakota*

Mr. Brian Fulton, County Administrator, Jackson County, Mississippi*

The Honorable Nick Gradisar, Mayor, Pueblo, Colorado

The Honorable Evan Hansen, House Delegate, State of West Virginia*

Mr. Chad Harsha, Secretary of Natural Resources, Cherokee Nation

The Honorable Timothy “Zane” Hedgecock, Mayor Pro Tem, Wallburg, North Carolina

The Honorable Deana Holiday Ingraham, Mayor, East Point, Georgia

The Honorable Ella Jones, Mayor, Ferguson, Missouri

The Honorable Kelly King, Councilmember, Maui County, Hawaii

The Honorable Christine Lowery, Commissioner, Cibola County, New Mexico

The Honorable Rachel May, State Senator, Syracuse, New York

The Honorable Melissa McKinlay, Commissioner, Palm Beach County, Florida

The Honorable Julian McTizic, Mayor, Bolivar, Tennessee

Mr. Alex Morse, Town Manager, Provincetown, Massachusetts

The Honorable Douglas Nicholls, Mayor, Yuma, Arizona

The Honorable Ron Nirenberg, Mayor, San Antonio, Texas

The Honorable Neil O’Leary, Mayor, Waterbury, Connecticut

Ms. Deborah Raphael, Director, Environmental Department, San Francisco

The Honorable Satya Rhodes-Conway, Mayor, Madison, Wisconsin

The Honorable Katherine Gilmore Richardson, Councilmember, Philadelphia

The Honorable Deborah Robertson, Mayor, Rialto, California

The Honorable Michael Scuse, Secretary of Agriculture, State of Delaware

Ms. Valinda Shirley, Executive Director, EPA, Navajo Nation

The Honorable Sylvester Turner, Mayor, Houston

The Honorable Lucy Vinis, Mayor, Eugene, Oregon

Ms. Lisa Wong, Town Manager, Winchester, Massachusetts*

*Indicates reappointment

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Background
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Chartered in 1993 under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the Local Government Advisory Committee provides independent policy advice to the EPA Administrator on a broad range of issues affecting local governments. For more information about the LGAC, please visit https://www.epa.gov/ocir/local-government-advisory-committee-lgac.

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- NEWARK -