Alex Mills
By Alex Mills
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be trying to implement regulations soon that establishes a road map for integrating environmental justice into its programs, policies, and activities.
Did they mean to say “environmental justice”? What does “environmental justice” entail?
The program states: “For far too long, many minority, low-income, tribal, and indigenous people in the United States have experienced higher levels of environmental pollution and other social and economic burdens. These overburdened communities have generally viewed environmentalism and environmental protection as a distant calling. These burdens have led to poorer health outcomes, as well as fewer financial or advocacy opportunities to pursue many productive activities, including “greening” their communities.”
EPA believes that it can correct the “higher levels of environmental pollution and other social and economic burdens” by mandating changes to society through federal regulations.
EPA uses phrases such as “overburdened communities,” but it does not define an “overburdened community.”
EPA cites Title VI of the Civil Rights Act as justification for implementing its environmental justice regulations. EPA proclaimed this program as “a new era of outreach and protection for communities historically underrepresented in EPA decision making,” and it said that environmental justice principles should be used “in all of our decisions.”
The program is called Plan EJ2014. It is the culmination of nearly a year’s effort by EPA to develop nine plans that establish permitting and enforcement goals and strategies.
For example, under the heading of Considering Environmental Justice in Permitting its stated goals is “to enable overburdened communities to have full and meaningful access to the permitting process and to develop permits that address environmental justice issues to the greatest extent practicable under existing environmental law.”
Strategies listed to implement this goal:
- Develop tools that will enhance the ability of overburdened communities to participate fully and meaningfully in the permitting process.
- Concurrent with Strategy 1, develop tools to assist permitting authorities to meaningfully address environmental justice in permitting decisions.
- Implement these tools at EPA and work with others to do the same.
There are many other goals and strategies listed in the 150-page report.
Plan EJ2014 is another example of the Obama administration using federal regulations to alter the lives of all Americans. The oil and gas industry has witnessed attempts by EPA and others to increase regulation of water, air and endangered species with no end in sight.
Alex Mills is President of the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers. The opinions expressed are solely of the author.
Speak Your Mind