As used in this article:
1. "Advisory group" means the permanent environmental justice advisory
group established by section 48-0105 of this article.
2. "Agency" means any state department, agency, board, bureau,
commission, division, office, council, or any public authority or public
benefit corporation.
3. "Environmental justice" means the fair treatment and meaningful
involvement of all people regardless of race, color, religion, national
origin or income with respect to the development, implementation and
enforcement of laws, regulations and policies affecting the quality of
the environment.
4. "Fair treatment" means that no group of people, including a racial,
ethnic or socioeconomic group, should be disproportionately exposed to
pollution or bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental
consequences resulting from execution of federal, state and local
programs and policies, and further means that no such group of people
should suffer from inequitable allocation of public resources or
financial assistance for environmental protection and stewardship,
including environmental remediation, pollution prevention, open space
acquisition and other protection and stewardship activities.
5. "Meaningful involvement" means the provision of opportunities for
citizen participation in decision making that are as reflective of the
diversity of interests and perspective found within the affected
community as possible, including those of racial, ethnic and
socioeconomic groups; that are provided as early as possible in the
decision making process; that provide full, timely and accessible
disclosure of public records and sharing of information by the
government agency or agencies involved, including the provision of
technical data and the assumptions upon which any analyses are based;
and that allow all people, regardless of race, color, religion, national
origin or income, the opportunity to have their views heard and
considered, including opportunities for two-way dialogue.