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DOJ launches new Office of Environmental Justice

DOJ launches new Office of Environmental Justice

Attorney General Merrick Garland steps away from the podium after speaking at a news conference at the Justice Department in Washington, Monday, Nov. 8, 2021.

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The Department of Justice announced that a new Office of Environmental Justice was created. It will serve as a “central center” for the department’s efforts to implement its “comprehensive environment justice enforcement strategy.”

Attorney General Merrick Galrland and Michael Regan, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, announced the new office in the Department of Justice on Thursday. They also stated a series of actions that would be taken to “secure environmental Justice for all Americans.”

The Office of Environmental Justice was created to collaborate with the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies to “develop or improve investigatory agency protocols for assessing environmental justice impacts during investigations.”

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Attorney General Merrick Garland steps away from the podium after speaking at a news conference at the Justice Department in Washington, Monday, Nov. 8, 2021.

After speaking at a news conference held at the Justice Department in Washington on Monday, November 8, 2021, Attorney General Merrick Garland steps down from the podium.
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Each U.S. Each U.S. Attorneys Office will be tasked with designating an environmental justice coordinator within its office. This coordinator will identify “areas where environmental justice is a concern” in their respective districts. The environmental justice coordinator will also be responsible to create and publicize a procedure that allows individuals to report any environmental justice concerns.

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The U.S. Department of Justice

The U.S. Department of Justice
(Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images).

Garland stated that the Office of Environmental Justice will prioritize cases that have the greatest impact upon the communities most affected by environmental harm.

Garland stated, “While violations of our environment laws can occur anywhere, communities that are of color, indigenous communities, or low-income communities often bear the brunt the harm caused due to environmental crime, pollution, climate change, and other environmental crimes.” “These communities have suffered for too long from barriers to accessing justice. The Office of Environmental Justice is the central hub of all our efforts to promote our comprehensive strategy for environmental justice enforcement. We will prioritise the cases that will have the most impact on the communities most affected by environmental harm.”

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The Justice Department building is seen in Washington.

Washington’s Justice Department building can be seen.
(Reuters)

The Interim Final Rule by the Department of Justice will allow the government to resume the use of supplemental environmental projects in cases where communities have been impacted by federal environmental laws. This will “allow the Government to more fully compensate victims, remedy damage, punish and deter future violations.”

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