Environmental Justice

EELP collaborates with environmental justice and Tribal organizations and coalitions to identify legal pathways for laws, regulations, and policies to be more equitable. We produce legal research on how governmental agencies can drive meaningful engagement and produce more just environmental and public health outcomes for impacted communities.

Media Inquiries

Rolling Back DOJ’s Title VI Protections: Trump’s Abandoned Attempt and Potential Impacts on EJ Enforcement

In January 2021, without any public input, the Trump Department of Justice (DOJ) prepared to issue a final rule eliminating the agency’s ability to enforce protections against discriminatory practices that […]

April 16, 2021

CleanLaw Podcast

CleanLaw — Environmental Racism in North Carolina Hog Farming Part I with Naeema Muhammad, Alexis Andiman, and Hannah Perls

A look at some of the legal tools advocates are using to challenge the disparate impacts of pollution in environmental justice communities.

April 8, 2021

Legal Analysis

A New Approach to Disaster Relief Funding? The Disaster Recovery Reform Act’s Promise for Pre-Disaster Mitigation

Climate change is likely to increase the frequency and cost of natural disasters in the U.S., underscoring the importance of a robust and proactive federal natural disaster response.

January 28, 2021

Legal Analysis

EPA Undermines its Own Environmental Justice Programs

EPA’s EJ efforts to-date have been insufficient to address the scale and severity of environmental injustice in the US.

November 12, 2020

CleanLaw Podcast

CleanLaw — Erin Brockovich and Caitlin McCoy on Water Pollution Regulations and Effective Advocacy

Major water issues in the U.S. today and what people can do to work toward better water quality in their communities and beyond.

November 5, 2020

U.S. Disaster Displacement in the Era of Climate Change: Discrimination & Consultation Under the Stafford Act

Read Hannah’s note published in the Harvard Environmental Law Review here: U.S. Disaster Displacement in the Era of Climate Change: Discrimination & Consultation Under the Stafford Act Environmental disasters displace […]

October 23, 2020

CleanLaw Podcast

CleanLaw — Joe Goffman with Francesca Dominici on the Intersection of Air Pollution, Coronavirus, and Black Communities

Air pollution continues to be a public health threat and is linked with increased coronavirus death rates.

August 25, 2020

Legal Analysis

DOJ Phases Out Supplemental Environmental Projects in Environmental Enforcement

SEPs allow EPA to act to protect public health and the environment in ways that couldn’t otherwise be achieved through traditional penalties, which don’t themselves remedy the harms that non-compliance with pollution and waste control requirements cause.

August 6, 2020

Socializing the CZMA: How Redefining “Community Resilience” Is Changing Coastal Management

As sea levels rise and catastrophic disasters become more frequent, coastal states are searching for ways to keep their communities safe and economies afloat. These strategies fall under the general […]

May 18, 2020