Remarks as delivered
Administrator Regan, thank you. We are grateful to you for being here today.
Members of low-income, Tribal, and minority communities have always been burdened by the environmental pollution. Americans should not have to live, work, or send their children to school in a community that has a high percentage of environmental hazards.
The Justice Department is committed in addressing these disparities. We have therefore, as the Attorney general mentioned, created a comprehensive strategy on environment justice to guide the work and activities of all department components. This strategy will ensure that every tool available to the department is used to secure environmental justice for all.
This means prioritizing enforcement of environmental and civil rights laws, such as Title VI of Civil Rights Act of 64, which prohibits federal funding recipients from discriminating on basis of race, colour, or nationality.
The strategy directs the department components to prioritize cases that decrease environmental harms on overburdened, underserved community, including communities of color and Tribal communities and low-income rural, urban communities.
With the support of new Office of Environmental Justice and department components, they will be tasked to develop protocols to assess the environmental impact of their investigations.
We also know that to ensure environmental justice, it is important for affected communities to be involved in decisions that have an impact on them.
The strategy directs the Office of Environmental Justice, which is to develop deeper connections with communities affected by violations of environmental law.
All 93 U.S. Attorneys in the United States must designate an Environmental Justice Coordinator to help identify and resolve concerns in their communities.
To maintain our commitment to environmental Justice, the department must have a workforce who is well-informed about environmental justice issues. This strategy calls for the development of educational programs and training opportunities in environmental justice for department staff.
This comprehensive strategy highlights the departments commitment in ensuring that all Americans have clean drinking water, clean air, and healthy communities where they live, work, and raise their children. This is the heart of environmental justice.
We are grateful.