In response to the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) announcement today of the creation of an Office of Environmental Justice, as part of its new comprehensive environmental justice strategy, Evergreen Action Co-Founder and Senior Advisor Sam Ricketts released the following statement: 

“The Department of Justice’s (DOJ) announcement of an Office of Environmental Justice is a much-needed step to fill the void created by years of neglect under the Trump administration. Corporate polluters have historically targeted communities of color for the locations of their most toxic facilities, resulting in higher rates of pollution-driven illness and death in the communities that have suffered from decades of this kind of environmental racism. We are excited about the enormous potential of the Office of Environmental Justice to defend our most vulnerable communities against the long-standing illegal actions of these corporate polluters. And we look forward to the DOJ's ongoing commitment to civil rights enforcement in the context of environmental harms.” 

Evergreen Action previously called for the Department of Justice to launch a new Environmental and Climate Justice Division with a focus on defending communities impacted by environmental justice as a part of its 5 to Mobilize series. You can read the full set of recommendations for the DOJ here.

###