Alabama Black Belt Case Tests Whether Sanitation Is a Civil Right
"The Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice recently announced that Alabama had agreed to remediate a sewage crisis in majority-Black Lowndes County."
"The Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice recently announced that Alabama had agreed to remediate a sewage crisis in majority-Black Lowndes County."
"When Mississippi environmental regulators checked the emissions of a large wood pellet mill operating a few miles from the Louisiana line, they found pollution levels two times higher than the legal limit."
"The Justice Department’s new plan to crack down on environmental crimes in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands is badly needed to combat corruption and shore up threadbare local agencies, according to Puerto Rico’s former top environmental official."
"In lawsuits targeting the coal operator Arch, residents contend that mining activity has disrupted their lives and emitted a gas that threatens their safety and the planet."
"The Chemehuevi’s reservation fronts about 30 miles of the Colorado River, yet 97% of the tribe’s water stays in the river, much of it used by Southern California cities. The tribe isn’t paid for it."
"Proponents say a federal disaster designation could save lives by providing vital services and reimbursing states for being proactive".
"The Biden administration on Wednesday announced a $7 billion grant competition to expand access to residential solar energy in low-income communities."
"In a setback for environmental justice advocates, the Biden administration has closed a civil rights investigation of two Louisiana state agencies without finding discrimination in how the agencies regulated chemical plants in the area known as “Cancer Alley.”"
"The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said Tuesday it did not find discrimination by the state of Louisiana against Black residents who face high levels of air pollution, closing a probe into actions by state departments."
Voices of Environmental Justice is a quarterly column that focuses on the voices that environmental and climate journalists have long excluded from their stories. The column will feature interviews with community members, as well as practical tips and resources to help reporters better cover these communities.