According to Reuters, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established a new office to assist marginalized communities in dealing with the additional burdens of pollution and climate change.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: William And Kate May Take George, Charlotte To Queen’s Funeral
The Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights will be staffed by 200 EPA employees from the agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., as well as 10 regional bureaus.
“The establishment of a new office dedicated to advancing environmental justice and civil rights at EPA will ensure the lived experiences of underserved communities are central to our decision-making while supporting community-driven solutions,” said US Vice President Kamala Harris.
One of the new office’s primary responsibilities will be to oversee the distribution of $3 billion in environmental justice grants made possible by the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which is part of a $60 billion investment in environmental justice.
It will also ensure that other EPA programs adhere to President Biden’s Justice40 initiative, which aims to ensure that 40% of certain government investments go to underserved communities.
Finally, it will assist communities in obtaining grants, enforcing civil rights laws, and resolving environmental conflicts.
The new office was inaugurated at a ceremony in Warren County, North Carolina, the site of protests against toxic waste dumping in the area in 1982.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Kanye West’s 2020 Election Loss Could Lead To Another Perplexing Decision
The civil disobedience actions and arrests that followed failed to stop the 22-acre dump, but they did give birth to the modern environmental justice movement. Participants marked the 40th anniversary of the protests last week.
