Advocates hope to enlist the federal government in forcing state regulators to set clean water standards for the San Francisco Bay Delta.
A group of environmentalists, racial justice advocates, and indigenous tribes have filed a complaint with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency alleging that the ecological crisis on the San Francisco Bay Delta has roots in racism, according to a column by Michael Fitzgerald for Stocktonia.
Stockton’s Little Manila Rising, Restore the Delta, the Winnemem Wintu and Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, and Save California Salmon filed the 288-page complaint linking the ecological crisis in the Bay Delta to white supremacy, according to the article.
“[The complaint] alleges that the state Water Resources Control Board is failing to do its job to set clean water standards for the Delta — which is true — and this mostly hurts people of color, a violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 requiring all groups be given equal treatment under the law,” writes Fitzgerald.
As clear from the citation above, Fitzgerald opines that the complaint makes a persuasive argument.
The complaint asks the U.S. EPA to force the Water Resources Control Board to set clean water standards for the Bay Delta.
More details about the political context surrounding the complaint are included in the source article below.
FULL STORY: Is racism behind the Delta’s decline?
Biden Diversifies Cabinet With EPA Administrator, Interior Secretary Picks
President-elect Biden made two historic cabinet selections: Michael Regan, who heads the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, to run the U.S. EPA, and Rep. Deb Haaland of New Mexico, to head the Interior Department.
Environmental Agencies Failing at Civil Rights, Report Says
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.
Formerly Redlined Neighborhoods Have Higher COVID-19 Prevalence, Study Says
Add COVID-19 to the list of long-term consequences of the racist and discriminatory regulatory and lending practices of the 20th century.
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.
‘Displaced By Design:’ Report Spotlights Gentrification in Black Neighborhoods
A new report finds that roughly 15 percent of U.S. neighborhoods have been impacted by housing cost increases and displacement.
Nevada and Utah Groups Oppose Public Land Sell-Off Plan
A set of last-minute amendments to the budget reconciliation bill open up over half a million acres of federally managed land to sales.
More Than a Park: A Safe Haven for Generations in LA’s Chinatown
Alpine Recreation Center serves as a vital cultural and community hub in Los Angeles' Chinatown, offering a safe, welcoming space for generations of Chinese American residents to gather, connect, and thrive amidst rapid urban change.
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.
City of Clovis
City of Moorpark
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions