Our Community Empowerment program focuses on providing tools, technical insights, and advocacy to build the capacity of individuals to become Environmental Justice leaders in their own communities.
We focus on mobilizing our constituents to take the reins and lead their communities by providing support, information and tools.
We aim to:
- Provide effective, accountable organizing and technical assistance, especially to people-of-color, low-income and rural communities, to increase knowledge, skills, and action to protect human health and community environments.
- Work for fair, participatory environmental decision-making mechanisms in all NC communities, with wide participation.
- Work with our members, community partners, and state and local officials to provide critical education, emergency planning and accountability for businesses and industries that use hazardous materials.
Learn more about our ongoing efforts to promote Community Empowerment across NC by checking out our current campaigns:
We are growing our Community Tools Campaign to make mapping applications and data more accessible the general public. We are working to incorporate more useful mapping and data tools, as well as tutorials and how-to manuals.
We help community members sign up for permit and hearing notifications of authorized agencies so they stay informed. We also help community members navigate the technical side of permits and data tools by offering tutorials, fact sheets, and trainings so that community members are empowered to take this information to their neighborhoods and community leaders.
North Carolina communities have experienced years of limited opportunities to participate in state government decision-making such as policy and permitting. This has been particularly difficult for historically marginalized and underserved communities under traditional power dynamics. These access limitations exacerbate cumulative and disproportionate environmental, economic, and health impacts on rural, low-income and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities. Clean Water for North Carolina has been working to combat this issue.