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John,
Clear air. Safe drinking water. A healthy environment that enriches life.
These basic rights, enshrined in the Environmental Justice for All Act, are not always protected in poor communities or communities of color. This crucial legislation would boost and add to existing federal law to achieve essential environmental justice, health equity, and climate crisis outcomes for underserved communities.
As Rep. Grijalva said at the bill's introduction, this legislation will "help make sure the same destruction that’s been perpetrated against poor communities and communities of color for decades doesn’t happen again."
Urge Congress to pass this set of protections to ensure that the poor and communities of color enjoy environments that meet standards of health and safety that have been largely ignored until now. Sign the petition now!
How do we combat environmental racism? By collaborating with communities that experience structural inequities in their exposure to environmental hazards, the Environmental Justice for All Act was initiated in 2018 by the late Representative A. Donald McEachin. It has now been reintroduced, as environmental racism continues to persist unchecked.
The proposed legislation addresses several distinct areas of social justice law. It strengthens Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, prohibiting discrimination based on disparate impact, and it overturns a Supreme Court decision that limited individuals’ and organizations’ rights to sue on this basis.
It bolsters the Clean Water and Clean Air Acts by requiring consideration of cumulative impacts over time, and requires permitted projects to demonstrate no harm to human health.
It requires federal agencies to develop and report on their environmental justice strategies, and to include diverse communities in public health research at the levels of data collection and analysis.
It requires that affected communities must be involved early when actions are proposed under the National Environmental Policy Act, and ensures that Indian Tribes are represented when sacred sites or off-reservation lands are impacted.
It funds research into potentially harmful chemicals in personal and childcare products, and to develop safer alternatives for cosmetic products designed for women and girls of color.
It prioritizes access to outdoor green spaces and recreational opportunities for underserved urban communities.
And it establishes a new Energy Transition Economic Development Assistance Fund using oil, gas, and coal industry fees to support workers as they transition to green energies.
With so many crucial benefits protecting the health of the air, water, and environment, passage of this Act will have a dramatic impact on quality of life for all Americans. Sign the petition today and urge Congress to pass this essential legislation.
Thank you. Your voice is important to make environmental justice a reality for all.
- Amanda
Amanda Ford, Director
Democracy for America
Advocacy Fund
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