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ARTICLE · 28 NOVEMBER 2023

How U.S. EPA's New Environmental Justice Initiative Impacts Manufacturing Operations

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The Environmental Justice Initiative seeks to ensure that all Americans—regardless of race, color, national origin, or income—receive fair treatment and have meaningful involvement...

United StatesEnvironment
Peter A. Tomasi
Peter A. Tomasi
Elizabeth S. Stone
Elizabeth S. Stone
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What Is Environmental Justice?

The Environmental Justice Initiative seeks to ensure that all Americans—regardless of race, color, national origin, or income—receive fair treatment and have meaningful involvement with respect to development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Since President Clinton's issuance of Executive Order 12898 to address Environmental Justice, the United States Environmental Protection Agency ("U.S. EPA") has undertaken only limited steps to further the Initiative—at least, until now.

A New Federal Focus on Environmental Justice

In 2023, the Biden Administration gave new teeth to the Environmental Justice Initiative. In April, President Biden issued Executive Order 14096 on "Revitalizing Our Nation's Commitment to Environmental Justice for All," proposing a "whole of government" approach to Environmental Justice. In August, U.S. EPA released an implementation plan for Environmental

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