WASHINGTON — Today, the House Natural Resources Committee held legislative scoping and passed the Environmental Justice for All Off the Committee Act, a key milestone for the most comprehensive congressional bill to make advancing environmental justice, health equity and climate justice.

Sponsored by President Raúl Grijalva and co-sponsored by U.S. Representatives Donald McEachin and Steve Cohen, and with significant input from affected communities and environmental justice leaders, the bill is a far-reaching approach to redressing the disproportionate harm suffered. by communities of color and people. with limited financial means.

In response, Chandra T. Taylor-Sawyer, Senior Counsel and Executive of SELC’s environmental justice initiativeissued the following statement:

“We commend the strong leadership of members of the House Natural Resources Committee and Speaker Grijalva in advancing the Environmental Justice for All Act today, an important action that requires agencies to follow certain environmental justice standards and to direct new funding programs to the communities that need it most. . Advancing this landmark legislation is a crucial step in addressing the environmental injustices that communities of color across the South and across the country have been unduly burdened with for far too long.

Among its comprehensive approaches, the bill proposes to:

• strengthen the Civil Rights Act of 1964;
• require consideration of cumulative impacts in permitting decisions under the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act;
• work to establish more equitable access to parks and outdoor recreation;
• require meaningful community participation, including tribal representation, under the National Environmental Policy Act; and
• providing funds to support communities and workers moving away from polluting industries.