Congressman James Clyburn: Environemtal Justice Crusader

Congressman James Clyburn tirelessly promotes environmental justice year after year. He issues and annual Environmental Justice Report during the Congressional Black Caucus Legislative Conference at the Environmental Justice Braintrust. The reports, authored by the National Environmental Policy Commission, usually includes some of the the following recomendations:

* Congress should launch a specific initiative to eliminate disparities in health care and health outcomes according to race and income.
* Congress should leverage the resources newly being devoted to Homeland Security to provide improved health information and services to communities of concern.
* Congress should pursue avenues for federal, state, loacl and tribal governments to work together to expand the safety net of environmental control to all sources of pollution.
* Congress, EPA and other federal agencies must find better mechanisms to involve communities in environmental decision making at all levels.
* Congress should exercise its oversight and funding authorities to fully and accurately characterize and control the ipacts of transportation projects on health and environment.
* Congress should create clear guidelines to correct federally owned facilities' failure to involve surrounding communities in their evaluation of environmental impacts and failure to make timely progress on remedial obligations
* Congress, EPA and other federal agencies should facilitate consideration of workable mechanisms to incorporate Environmental Justice into land-use planning.
* Congress should highlight and support government and private sector gains in workplace diversity and inclusion.
* Congress should act to assure that transportation and economic development projects do not impair sacred sites.
* Congress should address the need for resources to support environmental infrastructure on tribal lands.
* Congress should address the need for environmental infrastructure in the U.S. territories.
* Congress should expand the collaborative model of the Interagency Working Group to new demonstration projects and additional governmental programs.
* Congress should provide suppot for community-based, faith-based, and tribal organizations that have initiated important projects to protect community health, provide environmental and health information, and facilitate community revitalization.

Congressman Clyburn initiated the National Environmental Policy Commission in response to recommendations by the CBCF Environmental Justice Braintrust that he chairs