For four years, the Trump administration’s rollbacks of environmental protections fell hardest on communities of color and low-income neighborhoods — places that have long borne the brunt of pollution. But even before that, the federal government’s efforts to combat environmental injustices were often spotty and weak. That may be changing. President Joe Biden pledged as a candidate to prioritize these issues, and one of his early executive orders directed all federal agencies “to address the disproportionate health, environmental, economic, and climate impacts on disadvantaged communities.” The order launched interagency and advisory White House councils to coordinate this work, and it set new goals for federal investment. The Center for Public Integrity talked to Robert Bullard of Texas Southern University — often called the “father of environmental justice” for his decades-long work in this area — about his hopes and concerns coming off four years of deregulation. Bullard, whose books include Dumping In Dixie, is co-chair of the National Black Environmental Justice Network. To view the full article visit the Center for Public Integrity.
