Complaint Blames Bay Delta Ecological Crisis on Racism

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.