A new Environmental Protection Agency draft strategic plan on environmental justice has generated a sharp backlash in both the House and Senate. Last week nearly 80 legislators signed a letter denouncing the draft plan as a step backward, urging EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson to "take real steps to combat the environmental injustices" that afflict communities throughout the nation.
Signers of the letter point out that the new EPA draft plan omits any mention of race in dealing with environmental justice issues.
Instead of taking race into specific consideration, the new plan defines environmental justice as the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin or income, with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies.
"At a time when we should be working to help the communities bearing the brunt of pollution problems, this Administration is turning the idea of environmental justice on its head." Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) said of the EPA draft plan. "By ignoring our minority and low-income communities the Bush Administration is reversing a commitment made to communities across our country." [1]
Environmental justice refers to ameliorating the environmental conditions in low-income and minority communities that are disproportionately affected by high concentrations of pollution.
In both urban and many rural areas, minority and low-income communities mark the location of chemical plants, coal-fired power plants, sewage disposal operations and other facilities that expose residents to high levels of pollution and serious health problems.
Leading the opposition to EPA's draft plan is Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL), whose legislative director David Goldenberg told BushGreenwatch, "By eliminating race from the legislation the EPA is missing a key component in addressing environmental justice."
Hastings successfully added language to the House version of the 2006 Environment and Interior spending bill; it says EPA's plan contravenes a Clinton-era executive order which explicitly directs federal agencies to make environmental justice a part of their missions. Hastings' amendment asserts that no money can be spent on efforts that violate the executive order. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) added similar language to the Senate version.
Besides the omission of race, the Congressional letter also says EPA's plan fails to take into account an Inspector General report that criticizes EPA's inability to identify "key recipients" of environmental justice policies. "The EPA's failure to identify the intended recipients in a manner that truly reflects environmental justice communities is ultimately another attempt to de-prioritize the importance of focusing on our nation's most vulnerable populations," the letter says. [2]
The EPA's draft plan also outlines an issues priority system which critics say will require the EPA to select which pollution related ailments deserve the most attention and "would automatically de-prioritize those issues which are lower on the list." [3]
Signers of the Congressional letter say the EPA plan "will do nothing to reduce the existing disparate impacts suffered by low-income and minority communities and may contribute to the future increase of these impacts." [4]
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SOURCES:
[1] "Kerry, House and Senate environmental leaders call for administration to reverse backwards march on environmental justice," Sen. John Kerry's website, Jul. 21, 2005.
[2] "Hastings calls for major changes in administration's environmental justice 'strategic plan'," Rep. Alcee Hastings' website, Jul. 21, 2005.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid.
