Governor Roy Cooper to address new Environmental Justice Advisory Council

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Governor Roy Cooper is set to address the first meeting of the new Environmental Justice Advisory Council.

It's a new board he helped create.

One of the goals is to protect people from health effects of the environment.

The Environmental Justice Executive Order was signed into law this past October.

The council will include 22 members, half of which are appointed by the governor.

They will work to help leverage federal funds, which Cooper says marginalize under-served communities dealing with pollution and the effects of climate change.

A new environmental justice hub will be created and a mapping tool that shows environmental stressors and public health outcomes in communities.

Each cabinet agency will have roughly four months to develop at least three drafts on goals and improvements.