Virginia Interfaith Power & Light

06/13/2026

As people of faith and goodwill, we believe every person is worthy of dignity, belonging, and the opportunity to thrive. 🏳️‍🌈

This Pride Month, we celebrate LGBTQ+ communities and reaffirm our commitment to environmental justice. Caring for our neighbors means ensuring that ALL people have access to healthy communities, clean air, safe water, and a livable future. 🌎💚

06/11/2026

Careless polluters who expose over 100,000 people to more than a years worth of cancer causing chemicals in under 2 hours should be held accountable. A measly $53,000 fine won’t do that.

Demand that the DEQ take action to prevent something like this from happening again: https://bit.ly/DEQ_EtO

https://www.12onyourside.com/2026/06/04/henrico-facility-fined-emitting-cancer-causing-gas/

A Henrico facility is being hit with a $54,000 fine after emitting a cancer-causing gas into the air.

06/04/2026

A $53k fine for releasing over a year's worth of cancer causing chemicals in just 2 hours is not good enough. Let the DEQ know you want real accountability!

Send written comments to:
Gary Wooldridge
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Central Office

Email: [email protected]

P.O. Box 1105
Richmond, VA 23218

Customize your comments to reflect your personal and community concerns and urge DEQ to revoke Sterilization Services of Virginia’s (SSV) permit.

At a minimum, DEQ must require real-time monitoring, strong engineering safeguards, provide immediate and consistent communication to surrounding communities in case of an emergency, and raise penalty fines so violations don’t happen again.

Henrico sterilization facility facing $53K fine after 600-pound toxic gas release. Details in comments.⬇️

06/03/2026

Do you want to cool Richmond’s hottest neighborhoods this summer? Here’s how! ☀️🌡️

Step 1. Pick up your free tree 🪴
Step 2. Plant your tree 🌳
Step 3. Enjoy the shade 😎

Join VAIPL and Cool the City at our upcoming tree giveaway and tree maintenance workshop!

📍 Second Baptist Church
📆 Saturday, June 6th, 12-5pm
🔗 bit.ly/4cO6jm0 or using the link in bio

Walk ups are welcome but priority will be given to those who register in advance.

05/26/2026

Want a free tree? 🌳 🌱

Join VAIPL and Cool the City for one of our upcoming free tree giveaways and tree maintenance workshops!

📍 Third Street Bethel AME Church
📆 Saturday, May 30th, 12-5pm
https://bit.ly/4cQbeTv or using the link in bio

📍 Second Baptist Church
📆 Saturday, June 6th, 12-5pm
https://bit.ly/4cO6jm0 or using the link in bio

Walk ups are welcome but priority will be given to those who register in advance.

05/22/2026

Thank you to all of the community members, faith leaders, elected officials, and stakeholders in Brunswick County for coming out to our environmental justice town hall! 📢

We had meaningful conversations about some of the challenges Brunswick County is facing and how we can all work together to address them. Events like these show the true power of community. 💚

Special thanks to First Baptist Church and the Brunswick Health Ambassadors for making this event possible.

05/20/2026

Is the AI industry a modern-day empire? 🤔

Join VAIPL and Dr. Mary Finley-Brook, Professor of Geography and Global Studies at the University of Richmond, for an in-depth, thought-provoking book club of "Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI", written by Karen Hao. 📖

Sign up here: https://bit.ly/491CU5q

This book is a journalistic investigation into one of the largest AI companies, OpenAI, which owns ChatGPT. Together, we'll explore OpenAI's interworkings, the human and environmental costs of AI, and ethical and intellectual property concerns with AI usage and development.

05/07/2026

Do you live in Jackson Ward, Northside, Southside, Eastend, Church Hill, or Randolph? Do you want to plant and take care of your very own tree? Join VAIPL and Cool the City for one of our upcoming free tree giveaways and tree maintenance workshops! 🌳

📍Third Street Bethel AME Church
📅 May 30th, 12-5pm
🔗 https://bit.ly/4cQbeTv

📍Second Baptist Church
📅 June 6th, 12-5pm
🔗 https://bit.ly/4cO6jm0

🌱Cool the City is a collaborative, city-wide campaign aimed at enhancing health outcomes, fostering community wealth, and bolstering climate resilience in the city of Richmond. Learn more at https://coolthecity.com/