Maryland Governor Signs Executive Order to Embed Environmental Justice in State Policy
The VOICE order mandates agency-wide equity plans, environmental justice officers, and data-driven tools to address pollution and health disparities.
- By Stasia DeMarco
- July 22, 2025
Maryland Governor Wes Moore signed a sweeping executive order Friday aimed at embedding environmental justice into state government operations, directing agencies to take a unified, equity-centered approach to pollution and public health disparities across the state.
The initiative, titled the Valuing Opportunity, Inclusion, and Community Equity (VOICE) order, requires all state agencies to publish biennial strategic plans with measurable environmental justice outcomes tailored to their missions. It also mandates the appointment of environmental justice officers within each agency and creates an Interagency Environmental Justice and Equity Advisory Council to coordinate policy, funding, and oversight.
“Every Marylander deserves access to clean air, clean water, and resilient communities,” Moore said at the signing ceremony, held at the Living Classrooms Foundation in Baltimore. The event drew environmental advocates, public officials, business leaders, and residents.
A cornerstone of the order is the use of MDEnviroScreen, a data mapping tool developed by the Maryland Department of the Environment. The tool helps identify communities disproportionately affected by environmental hazards by integrating pollution exposure, demographic, and health data. State agencies will use the tool to inform community engagement, investment prioritization, and policymaking.
Beyond addressing environmental burdens, the VOICE order also expands state support for underrepresented farmers, urban agriculture programs, and community health resources. These provisions align with the Moore-Miller Administration’s broader goals of merging environmental policy with economic development and public health equity.
The order represents a landmark in Maryland’s environmental policy, positioning the state as a national leader in data-driven, cross-agency environmental justice governance.
About the Author
Stasia DeMarco is the Content Editor for EPOnline.