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A NEW CHAPTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IN DEKALB

SUPER DISTRICT 6 | EJ & CLIMATE PROTECTION CONFERENCE

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Commissioner Ted Terry

Super District 6 Commissioner

Adriana English

Environmental

Policy Aide

THE SUPER DISTRICT 6 TEAM

SUPER DISTRICT 6 | STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING

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Super District 6

Super District 7

SUPER DISTRICT 6 | STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING

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GOES BEYOND THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

EJ

Clean & Reliable Utilies

More Affordable, Reliable, and Efficient Utilities & Services

Sustainable Land Use

Access to parks, trees, and healthier neighborhoods & Improved zoning

Community Voice

Residents shaping local decisions

Sanitation

Water affordability and utility assistance; Composting and landfill impact reduction

Affordable Housing

Housing stability and aging in place

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Candidly, some of DeKalb’s greatest issues stem from environmental injustices.

Sewer spills & flooding
Energy burden
Loss of green space & rising temperatures
Fair land use decisions

These issues directly affect household finances, public health, and quality of life, while hitting some neighborhoods harder than others.

WHAT’S GOING ON IN DEKALB?

SUPER DISTRICT 6 | EJ & CLIMATE PROTECTION CONFERENCE

Candidly, some of DeKalb’s greatest issues stem from environmental injustices, including failing water and sewer infrastructure, repeated sewage overflows into creeks and neighborhoods, rising utility costs, and the loss of safe green space, problems that disproportionately affect lower-income and historically marginalized communities.

These issues directly affect household finances, public health, and quality of life.

Like many communities across the country, DeKalb faces environmental challenges that are not distributed equally. We continue to address aging water and sewer infrastructure. Residents experience flooding and sewage overflows.

Many households struggle with rising utility costs. Communities near major infrastructure and industrial uses often experience disproportionate burdens. And as growth continues across the county, residents are increasingly concerned about housing affordability, tree loss, transportation access, and land use decisions.

Environmental justice requires us to recognize these connections. The environment is not separate from housing. It is not separate from public health. It is not separate from economic opportunity. These issues are interconnected, and our policies must reflect that reality.

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THE ROLE OF

COUNTY GOVERNMENT

Sets county priorities through the budget

Reviewing zoning and development decisions

Support environmental

& sustainability programs

Responds to community input and public comment

The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners makes decisions about land use, zoning, infrastructure investments, sustainability planning, and environmental programs. These decisions determine how our communities grow, where development occurs, how resources are allocated, and how environmental concerns are addressed.

SUPER DISTRICT 6 | EJ & CLIMATE PROTECTION CONFERENCE

FIND YOUR COMMISSIONER

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RESILIENT

DEKALB

THINK GLOBAL. ACT LOCAL.

A people-powered initiative aimed to alleviate environmental injustices in DeKalb.

SUSTAINABLE LAND USE & HOUSING

CLEAN ENERGY & UTILITES

COMMUNITY BUILDING

STEERING COMMITTEE

THINK GLOBAL. ACT LOCAL.

RESILIENT

DEKALB

Goal: Bridging the gap between county government and the communities we serve.

SUPER DISTRICT 6 | EJ & CLIMATE PROTECTION CONFERENCE

That's why we created Resilient DeKalb, rebrand of GND

Resilient DeKalb builds upon the foundation of the DeKalb Green New Deal but reframes the work through a stronger environmental justice and community engagement lens. Through community conversations, surveys, and stakeholder engagement, we consistently heard the same message: Residents care deeply about environmental issues, but many feel disconnected from the decisions that shape their communities.

Resilient DeKalb was created to bridge that gap. The initiative focuses on three areas: Sustainable land use and housing. Affordable, reliable utilities and services.

Building community power through civic engagement. We even formed the resilient DeKalb Steering Committee. Our goal is not simply to inform residents.

Our goal is to help residents shape policy outcomes.

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PROGRESS SO FAR...

100% Clean Energy and Transportation Transition Plan

Library Landscape Transition Plan Greener, more resilient public spaces

Water affordability resolution, amnesty & debt forgiveness

Environmental Justice Resident Review Group approved.

Energy Manager and Chief Sustainability Officer hired: group to meet soon!

& MUCH MORE!

SUPER DISTRICT 6 | EJ & CLIMATE PROTECTION CONFERENCE

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A structured pathway for residents and environmental experts to advise the Board of Commissioners on environmental justice, sustainability, clean energy, and related policies.

Resident expertise
Policy recommendations
Monitoring sustainability efforts
Accountability

EJ IN PRACTICE:

EJ RESIDENT REVIEW GROUP APPROVED.

INSTITUTIONALIZING COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION

SUPER DISTRICT 6 | EJ & CLIMATE PROTECTION CONFERENCE

A second major milestone has been the establishment of the Environmental Justice and Sustainability Resident Advisory Group. For years, residents asked for a more formal role in environmental decision-making.

This group creates a structured pathway for community members and subject matter experts to advise the Board of Commissioners on environmental justice, sustainability, clean energy, and related policies. Strong environmental policy requires more than technical expertise.

It requires lived experience.

The advisory group helps ensure those perspectives are incorporated into county decision-making.

Institutionalizing Community Participation

Flow chart: Residents > Environmental Justice>Advisory Group> Board of Commissioners

Resident expertise

Policy recommendations

Monitoring sustainability efforts

Accountability

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We can all play a role in EJ.

Avondale Estates residents helped reduce landfill impacts on neighboring communities while returning valuable resources to DeKalb farmers, libraries, and public spaces!

EJ IN PRACTICE:

COMPOSTING

COMMUNITY BASED SOLUTIONS

544

RESIDENTS

130K+

POUNDS OF FOOD WASTE DIVERTED FROM LANDFILLS

14K+

LBS METHANE AVOIDED

We all can play a role in environmental justice. Avondale Estates residents diverting their food scraps helped residents living by the landfill and compost went to DeKalb farmers and libraries, etc

Over the past two years, our office has partnered with Avondale Estates and community organizations to pilot a curbside composting program.

More than 136,000 pounds of food waste was diverted from the landfill.

Thousands of pounds of methane emissions were avoided. The resulting compost was returned to local farmers, libraries, and community spaces.

The lesson was that residents are eager to participate when environmental solutions are practical, visible, and connected to community benefits. Environmental justice succeeds when residents become partners rather than spectators

we all can play a role in environmental justice... Avondale Estates residents diverting their food scraps helped residents living by the landfill and compost went to DeKalb farmers and libraries, etc

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FRESH FOOD WASTE TO

HEALTHY GARDENS

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NOW IS THE TIME

TO ADVOCATE!

SUPER DISTRICT 6 | EJ & CLIMATE PROTECTION CONFERENCE

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EJ IN PRACTICE:

Balancing economic development with environmental stewardship and community protection

DATA CENTER

REGULATIONS

50% of data center revenue reinvested in communities and environmental restoration

Strong zoning standards
Community review
Renewable energy incentives
Water conservation
Heat island mitigation
Community benefit agreements

AI TECH DIVIDEND

FUND

FOR THE PEOPLE

SUPER DISTRICT 6 | EJ & CLIMATE PROTECTION CONFERENCE

Data centers demonstrate why environmental justice must be part of economic development and zoning discussions. This is not a question of being for or against technology, but more so making sure growth benefits communities rather than imposing costs on them. The conversation has evolved beyond only limiting impacts. The new question is: How can major developments create lasting value for the surrounding communities?

One of the biggest environmental justice conversations happening in DeKalb County right now is about data centers. Data centers are the physical infrastructure behind artificial intelligence, cloud computing, streaming services, and much of the digital economy. While many people interact with these technologies every day, few think about the facilities that power them.

If a major development comes to our community, how can it contribute to our community?

How can it support our climate goals?

How can it protect our natural resources?

How can it strengthen neighborhood resilience?

Those are exactly the kinds of questions environmental justice asks us to consider, and those are the questions we are working to answer in DeKalb County.

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WATER, SANITATION & ENV EQUITY

DeKalb is facing difficult but necessary conversations around sanitation and utility rates. We advocate for policies that center environmental equity.

Compost Expansion

& air quality monitoring

Sanitation discounts for residents living closest to landfill impacts

Utility Affordability Programs

SUPER DISTRICT 6 | EJ & CLIMATE PROTECTION CONFERENCE

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OPPORTUNITIES AHEAD

Zoning

Re-Write

First major update in over a decade affecting housing, trees, walkability, stormwater sanitation, environmental equity

Sanitation Rate Increase

Would increase sanitation, landfill, and transfer station fees over five years while Incentivizing composting & Discounts

Stay Involved!

Attend public meetings
Participate in zoning and development discussions
Follow environmental justice initiatives

Residents have an opportunity to shape critical envriomental justice decisions.

JUNE 23

PUBLIC HEARING

DATA CENTERS

SUPER DISTRICT 6 | EJ & CLIMATE PROTECTION CONFERENCE

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JOIN THE STEERING COMMITEE

A resident-led collaborative body that guides Resilient DeKalb by identifying priorities, building partnerships and shape future initiatives.

Attend BOC Meetings

2nd and 4th Tuesdays at 9 AM

178 Sams Street, Decatur, GA

Provide public comment
Participate in zoning and development discussions
Follow environmental justice initiatives
Contact your commissioner

STAY ENGAGED

RESILIENT

DEKALB

THINK GLOBAL. ACT LOCAL.

Let’s continue building a Resilient DeKalb, together!

SUPER DISTRICT 6 | EJ & CLIMATE PROTECTION CONFERENCE

STAY UPDATED!

COMMISSIONERTEDTERRY.COM

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THANK YOU!