NCDEQ Announces New Community Mapping Tool
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) demonstrated the agency's new Community Mapping System at the most recent meeting of the Secretary's Environmental Justice (EJ) and Equity Advisory Board on May 22, 2019 in Charlotte, NC. DEQ Secretary Michael Regan said the tool will provide communities up-to-date information and provide state regulators and economic recruiters with better information for decision-making.
Using Geographical Information System (GIS) technology, the Community Mapping Tool combines existing data from DEQ divisions with census, geographical, and socioeconomic data from a variety of sources to present a visual map of facilities permitted and/or regulated by DEQ.
The tool, now in BETA version, is available to all; local governments, communities, businesses and developers as a transparent mechanism to know what is around them. NCDEQ will be able to use the community mapping system as a screening tool for making informed decisions and target public engagement.
DEQ held three community meetings and several stakeholder sessions earlier this year to better understand what information community members would like to see included in the mapping system. DEQ used community input to create the BETA version of the community mapping system.
DEQ is seeking stakeholder feedback about the BETA version on their website. A Community Mapping System Survey is available.
Access the NCDEQ Press Release HERE