With the end of President Biden's first term approaching, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency intensifies its efforts to deliver environmental justice to historically marginalized communities.
Aman Azhar reports for Inside Climate News
In short:
- The EPA is focusing on "ground-truthing" to understand and address pollution impacts in low-income, predominantly minority communities.
- Initiatives include funding for urban greening and addressing environmental justice challenges as part of the Justice40 Initiative.
- The agency's efforts are part of a broader commitment to rectify historic injustices and improve health outcomes in disadvantaged areas.
Key quote:
"We have to make sure that funds are going to places that need them the most in the last year of the Biden administration’s first term."
— Adam Ortiz, EPA administrator for the Mid-Atlantic region
Why this matters:
The EPA's proactive approach in aiding disinvested communities is aimed at addressing long-standing environmental injustices.
In christening a new office of environmental justice, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan proclaimed in 2022 that “underserved and overburdened communities are at the forefront of our work.”
