An interview with CLF Staff Attorney Eloise Lawrence.

• Position: Conservation Law Foundation - Interview

CLF's Environmental Health and Justice Initiative works to address the disproportionate negative impacts from environmental toxics on low-income communities and communities of color. CLF Staff Attorney Eloise Lawrence has been working since 2005 to support efforts by under-represented communities to participate meaningfully in the decision-making that shapes their environment. CM Editor Caitlin Inglehart spoke with Eloise to learn more about CLF's environmental justice work.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

How did you become involved with environmental justice (EJ)?

I came to CLF from a civil rights organization in Chicago. Much of my work focused on representing African American residents of Chicago public housing in two major class action lawsuits. I was drawn by CLF's long tradition of advocating for better public transit and healthier living environments for children. To me, it made perfect sense to use environmental laws similar to civil rights laws to promote social justice.

Where does EJ fit into the larger environmental movement?

It brings the concept of equity to the goals of the environmental movement. It strives to ensure that we have a cleaner environment for everybody, that we don't solve a problem by helping the majority and hurting the minority.

What role does EJ have in CLF's advocacy?

This role continues to evolve. We now have a program devoted to Healthy Communities and Environmental Justice. It's important in the evolution of EJ at CLF that when we pick cases, we incorporate E] concerns at every possible turn. I think it's starting to affect the way CLF advocates look at their own cases that may have once seemed unrelated to EJ concerns. In the future, it could potentially touch all of our work.

How does CLF approach EJ cases?

When a community comes to us for assistance and we can work together toward a common goal, that's the perfect case. But you have to build relationships first and create mutual trust before communities will ask for CLF's help.

CLF has had a long history in the fight against lead poisoning of children. Why is this an EJ issue?

This did not start as an environmental justice issue because it once affected all children across class and race lines, but as the overall lead poisoning rates have declined, the rates among kids of color and low-income kids have not fallen proportionately. If you look at the hot spots for lead poisoning across New England, those are often our poorest communities, immigrant communities...