Washington, D.C. — 

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Rep. Donald McEachin (D-VA) introduced the Environmental Justice for All Act, landmark legislation to combat environmental racism and disparate impacts affecting frontline communities nationwide.

The following is a statement from Martin Hayden, Vice President of Policy and Legislation at Earthjustice:

“We cannot confront the legacy of environmental racism in the United States unless we listen to the voices of the people most harmed by it. If we do, however, we can ensure that everyone has the right to drink clean water, breathe clean air, and live without fear of the poisonous effects of toxic chemicals.

“We commend Chairman Grijalva and Representative McEachin for the proposal they released today and the landmark process they used to create it. It represents a bold and necessary shift in the way we create federal environmental policy — it is the result of a serious and years-long effort to put the expertise and concerns of the people experiencing the worst of pollution and climate change first. Earthjustice commends all of the environmental justice advocates who contributed to this legislation and looks forward to similar efforts in the future.”