Free Republic

EPA's Office of Civil Rights said it will investigate a discrimination complaint filed by residents of Perry County, AL, home to the Arrowhead landfill which has accepted spilled coal ash from the massive Tennessee Valley Authority 2008 spill in Kingston, TN. The residents allege the state violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by issuing the landfill its permits. EPA's OCR wrote a June 14 letter to David Ludder, the attorney representing 54 Perry County residents who filed the civil rights complaint against the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM), saying it "has accepted for investigation" the allegations that...

The marriage of environmentalism and civil rights has created a perfect storm of regulatory power that has the potential to control or kill any project anywhere in the United States. For the Obama administration, it is not enough for federal agencies to simply solicit the viewpoints of minority and low-income groups before undertaking a new project. An agency must prove it did all it could to try to convince these groups to participate — or potentially face civil-rights charges and a loss of funding. ... Title VI is the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits "discrimination under any program...

For years, special-interest groups like Greenpeace and the Sierra Club have changed the American business landscape under the premise of advancing environmental justice. But in many cases, those changes have done more harm than good for the people they are designed to protect. ... Mr. Driessen recounted a case from 1998, when Shintech Inc. had planned to build a plastics factory in the poor, black community of Convent, La. Sierra Club activists opposed it, raising fears that dioxins from the factory could lead to increased cancer rates among minority residents there. EPA denied approval of a construction permit, so the...

EPA spending millions for ‘environmental justice’The Daily Caller – 38 mins ago Earlier this month the Environmental Protection Agency awarded a $25,000 grant to the Louisiana Bucket Brigade for air-quality sampling, as part of an initiative which is funneling millions annually into local organizations for environmental justice. According to the EPA, environmental justice is “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.” EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson has made environmental justice a priority at the agency, issuing...

Complete title: EPA Looking to Hire 'Environmental Justice' Coordinator for $53,500-$84,146 a Year; No Degree Needed (CNSNews.com) - The Environmental Protection Agency is looking to hire an environmental protection specialist who will help the agency accomplish its “environmental justice goals."The job, in New York City, pays up to $84,146 a year, and according to the job listing on the government Web site, "You do not need a degree to qualify for this position."The EPA says the ideal candidate will have at least one year of experience related to the position, which comes with a salary range of $53,500-$84,146 a year....