Posted on 12/29/2011 5:08:14 AM PST by Captain7seas
USDA Environmental Justice Strategy request for public comments
USDA has recently completed a draft revision of the Department's Environmental Justice Strategy. We value your input very highly and would appreciate receiving your comments and suggestions during the 30-day comment period, open from December 7, 2011 through January 7, 2012.
You can view the draft strategy here: http://www.dm.usda.gov/hmmd/USDADraftEJStrategicPlansigned.pdf. Kindly send your written comments to EJStrategy@osec.usda.gov by January 7, 2012. In addition to comments on the Strategic Plan itself, please identify USDA programs that have been the most beneficial to your community. At USDA, environmental justice refers to meeting the needs of minority populations and low-income populations by reducing disparate environmental burdens, removing barriers to participation in decision-making, and increasing access to environmental benefits that help make all communities safe, vibrant, and healthy places to live and work.
At USDA, we are committed to achieving environmental justice throughout every community in America. We strive to create opportunities to improve the environment and human health in all communities in which we work, while ensuring that environmental burdens do not affect any one community disproportionately. Given that USDA programs touch almost every American every day, the Department is well positioned to help in this effort. To effectively and efficiently meet its goals and deliver results, USDA has developed an Environmental Justice Strategic Plan outlining key priorities and strategies.
Ha! We’re from the gubment, and we’re here to help YU.
Whut if those who are currently living in these areas are displaced by newcomers?
/s
This is satire from The Onion, right? What else could explain the U S Department of AGRICULTURE developing ANY plan about the environment, much less one for Environmental Justice?
This is satire from The Onion, right? What else could explain the U S Department of AGRICULTURE developing ANY plan about the environment, much less one for Environmental Justice?
The best strategy for achieving enviro justice is to eliminate the enviro bureaucrats. When they are incapable of speaking or thinking, the problem will be solved. The issues will be satisfactorily resolved.
Goal 6: Update and/or Develop Departmental and Agency Regulations on Environmental Justice:
The objectives for this goal are to:
The "strategy" is yet another camel's nose under the tent. The real damage will come later on as this giant snowball of class-warfare crap gathers momentum.
Spot on!
The gov't will tell companies where to locate, who to hire, and how much to charge.....all to best serve minority interests.
Another agency for the GOP to defund/disband.
Thank Congress. They shovel money and authority, hand over fist, at the Executive branch then saunter off and we end up with this crap.
Ain’t FASCISM great!? They even want to know what you think..................(for now)
Geez.
There are now three times as many USDA employees as there are farmers in America.
Something is fundamentally wrong here...
He who controls the meaning of words gets to control the outcome of the debate.
Just what do you mean by “justice”?
“Environmental Justice” means communism.
Your number surprised me so I googled and found this (among other stats) from PoliticFact:
“Using 105,000 total USDA employees and the BLS figure of 1.2 million farmers and farm workers — you get a ratio of 1 employee for every 11.4 farmers.”
105,000 USDA employees ?
Maybe in DC.
It couldn’t possibly count AG Dept. employees in every state.
I hope that all who read this take advantage of the link provided to submit your Public Comment on this non-sense to the USDA. They said that they really want to hear from you and they should. You may want to CC your Rep.
("Title VI") prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in programs and activities receiving Federal financial assistance .
That would be damn near every farming operation larger than your dozen tomato plants in your backyard.
And they expect this to result in lawsuits...
NOTE: This Strategic Plan is not classified as a rulemaking. It does not create any substantive or procedural right or benefit enforceable at law or equity by a party against USDA, its agencies, instrumentalities, officers, employees, or any other person.
I see the door opening here for a replay of Rhodesia going "Zim" and the handing over of farming operations to "minorities" (Minority-A person who is a member of one of the following population groups: American Indian or Alaskan Native; Asian or Pacific Islander; Black, not of Hispanic origin; or Hispanic.) and illegal aliens (Low-income population-Any readily identifiable group of low-income persons who live in geographic proximity, and, if circumstances warrant, migrant farm workers and other geographically dispersed/transient persons who will be similarly affected by USDA programs or activities.)
They will be the sole "finder of facts" and have absolute authority over the "corrective actions" submitted to Department of Justice.
i Monitoring and Oversight
(1) When CR issues a non compliance letter of findings, CR will monitor the recipient until compliance has been achieved. When corrective actions are completed, the complaint will be closed.
(2) If CR concludes, or the recipient presents adequate documentation that the noncompliance has been corrected prior to or during the complaint investigation, the CR will issue a closure letter. The closure letter must state that a violation existed at the time the investigation commenced but that it was corrected prior to the investigation completion and, as a consequence, the agency is now in compliance based on its voluntary corrective action.
(3) When a recipient refuses to provide CR with data and information necessary to a determination of the recipient's compliance status following CR's receipt of a complaint, CR will notify the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) of the recipient's decision and request action to secure court enforcement of the recipient's obligation to provide access to information necessary to a determination of the recipient's compliance status.
(4) When a recipient refuses to undertake corrective actions set forth in a letter of finding, CR will notify DOJ of the recipient's decision and request enforcement proceeding to secure a court order to require either the recipient's compliance or authority to terminate all USDA financial assistance to the recipient.
It draws "authority" from this...
SUBJECT: Nondiscrimination in Programs and Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance From USDA
1 PURPOSE
The purpose of this Departmental Regulation (DR) is to establish and convey policy and provide guidance and direction to Department of Agriculture (the Department or USDA) agencies and employees to ensure compliance with and enforcement of the prohibition against discrimination in programs and activities funded in whole or in part by the Department. This DR is limited to and specifically addresses.
a Conducting civil rights compliance reviews of programs and activities receiving financial assistance from USDA- and
b Processing administrative complaints of discrimination filed with the Department in any program or activity receiving financial assistance from USDA.
http://www.ocio.usda.gov/directi ves/doc/DR4330-002.pdf
Yeah, that is gonna work out just peachy, huh?
One more time... handing over of farming operations to "minorities" via their "corrective actions" enforced by Department of Justice.
Minority-A person who is a member of one of the following population groups: American Indian or Alaskan Native; Asian or Pacific Islander; Black, not of Hispanic origin; or Hispanic.) and illegal aliens (Low-income population-Any readily identifiable group of low-income persons who live in geographic proximity, and, if circumstances warrant, migrant farm workers and other geographically dispersed/transient persons who will be similarly affected by USDA programs or activities.)
.
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