The Baltimore City Council unanimously passed a resolution on Monday, April 6th to adopt Baltimore's Fair Development Plan for zero waste. Residents are now calling for supporter to sign on to encourage Baltimore's Mayor Young to defend the city's right to clean air and zero waste by breaking Baltimore's contract with BRESCO, a trash incineration [...]
Is air pollution connected to higher coronavirus death rates? The Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health released findings on a study that found a positive correlation between long term exposure to particulate matter (PM 2.5) and higher death rates from disease. The study concluded that exposure to air pollution leads to more severe [...]
Nuclear power plants are among the many other industries that will be receiving regulatory relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among some of the proposed changes are longer work days and work weeks for some employees because of shortage in available staff. Some employees may be permitted to work upwards of 12 to 16 hours a day [...]
In response to the COVID-19 virus, the Environmental Protection Agency suspended regulations requiring facilities to monitor and report emissions. CHEJ's very own Lois Gibbs provided commentary on the impact this action could have on individuals living in sacrifice zones, or areas overburden by pollution from industrial facilities. Although the regulation change comes at a time during [...]
The St. James Parish, also referred to as Cancer Alley, is home to some of the largest industrial polluting facilities in the country. The industrial sector is expected to grow an additional 2,300 acres as part of what is known as the Sunshine Project. The project is going to mostly include new plastics plants, including [...]
The small town of Grant Township, Pennsylvania won a seven year battle against an injection well permit in a fight of nature vs. industry. General Energy has been denied the permit on the grounds that injection wells in Grant Township are banned and that nature has rights. The residents of the town fought to block the [...]
The Environmental Protection Agency has released its FY 2019 Progress Report for the Federal Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice (EJ IWG). The EJ IWG was established to provide a platform for Federal agencies to work together for the advancement of environmental justice principles. View the 2019 report here. View more information on the EJ IWG here.
The Trump administration is set to finalize a rule that will weaken the federal government's gas mileage standards for cars put in place during the Obama Administration. With the new rule, the cost of vehicles will be lowered and fuel prices will rise over the long term. It will also release over 1.5 billion metric [...]
Recommendations for Equitable and Just Economic Stimulus Spending in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic As Congress considers legislation to address the growing public health and economic crises caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the principles of justice and equity must be centered in the response. Environmental justice communities, Tribal communities, low income communities and communities of [...]
Could migrant farmworkers be more susceptible to the coronavirus? In a time where social distancing is encouraged and washing one's hands is important to staying safe from the coronavirus, there is cause for concern for farmworkers that are exposed to less than ideal living and working situations. Most workers live in crowded housing, are transported [...]
