A report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Inspector General calls out state environmental agencies for a lack of civil rights enforecement and makes recommendations for resolving shortcomings.

A new report from the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Inspector General scrutinized the agency's enforcement of Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and found that the majority of state environmental agencies fail to prevent discrimination, and "the EPA is not fulfilling its obligation to get them in line," reports Naveena Sadasivam.
According to the inspector general's report, 43 state agencies failed to meet at least one of the criteria set forth by the EPA to avert discrimination. "The checklist requires, in part, that funding recipients post nondiscrimination notices in prominent locations in the office, that they provide language assistance services for those with limited proficiency in English, and that they hire a nondiscrimination coordinator," Sadasivam says.
The EPA investigated complaints to be filed as a catalyst to investigate compliance with the nondiscrimination rules rather than proactively confirming that states were adhering to the nondiscrimination criteria checklist.
Last week’s report is hardly the first time that the EPA has come under fire for accepting few civil rights complaints for investigation, spending years — and sometimes decades — resolving them, and almost never making findings of discrimination," writes Sadasivam, noting a 2015 investigation by Center for Public Integrity finding that the EPA dismissed 95% of submitted complaints.
The inspector general's report makes six recommendations to remedy these instances of neglect.
FULL STORY: Report: Environmental agencies are violating civil rights laws — and the EPA is letting them

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

Washington State’s Parking Reform Law Could Unlock ‘Countless’ Acres for New Housing
A law that limits how much parking cities can require for residential amd commercial developments could lead to a construction boom.

Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire
Following the devastation of the Eaton Fire, the return of wildlife and the regrowth of native plants are offering powerful signs of resilience and renewal.

LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles
LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions