This article originally appeared in Inside EPA Weekly Report on February 19, 2010. It is reprinted here with permission of the publisher, Inside Washington Publishers. Copyright 2010. No further distribution is permitted.
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Personnel Disputes Roil EPA’s Rights Office Undermining Equity Agenda
Posts Tagged ‘Title VI’
Personnel Disputes Roil EPA’s Rights Office, Undermining Equity Agenda (reprinted with permission from Inside Washington Publishers)
Jackson Shuffling Of Key EPA Civil Rights Office Staff Sparks Criticism (reprinted with permission from Inside Washington Publishers)
This article originally appeared in Inside EPA Weekly Report on December 4, 2009. It is reprinted here with permission of the publisher, Inside Washington Publishers. Copyright 2009. No further distribution is permitted.
Click here to view article (pdf format):
Jackson Shuffling Of Key EPA Civil Rights Office Staff Sparks Criticism
EPA Civil Rights ‘Best Practice’ Guidance Plan Fails To Quell Criticism (reprinted with permission from Inside Washington Publishers)
This article originally appeared in Inside EPA Weekly Report on October 23, 2009. It is reprinted here with permission of the publisher, Inside Washington Publishers. Copyright 2009. No further distribution is permitted.
Click here to view article (pdf format):
EPA Civil Rights ‘Best Practice’ Guidance Plan Fails To Quell Criticism
Jackson Orders Agency to Speed Civil Rights Claims Reviews (reprinted with permission from Inside Washington Publishers)
From Inside Washington Publishers, September 28, 2009. Appears here with permission of the publisher.
Click here to view article (pdf format): Jackson Orders Agency to Speed Civil Rights Claims Reviews
Press Release: RNA Wins Landmark Environmental Justice Case Against EPA’s Office of Civil Rights
justice
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Chris Winter
CRAG Law Center
Dvija Michael Bertish
Rosemere Neighborhood Association
ROSEMERE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION WINS LANDMARK ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE CASE AGAINST EPA’S OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Criticizes EPA for a “Pattern of Delay” in Implementing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act
(September 18, 2009) Rosemere Neighborhood Association (”Rosemere”) is a non-profit community organization in Clark County, Washington, dedicated to environmental protection and the pursuit of improvements to low-income environmental justice communities.
In February 2003, Rosemere first filed a Title VI administrative complaint with EPA’s Office of Civil Rights (”OCR”) alleging that the City of Vancouver, WA had discriminated in the provision of municipal services in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Rosemere alleged that Vancouver failed to use EPA funds to address fairly long-standing problems in low-income and minority neighborhoods in West Vancouver.
Rosemere V. EPA, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Case – April 14, 2009
On April 14, 2009, oral arguments were made in the Rosemere Neighborhood Association’s (RNA) appeal in its federal lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for failure to conduct an appropriate investigation into allegations of retaliation. RNA filed a Title VI Environmental Justice complaint with EPA in February 2003 alleging that the City of Vancouver had discriminated in the provision of municipal services in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Specifically, the Title VI complaint alleged that the city had discriminated against Environmental Justice neighborhoods by failing to address failing septic systems, the lack of a comprehensive sewer network, contaminated ground and surface waters, poor air quality, industrial pollutants, urban blight and decay, and long-range planning that fails to alleviate these stresses. RNA contends the EPA failed in its fiduciary duties to properly investigate the Title VI complaint which has led to ongoing legal proceedings.
Excerpt from the WSDOT Title VI Update and Accomplishment Report – June 4, 2003
Rosemere Neighborhood Association
On April 9, 2003, the Rosemere Neighborhood Association (RNA) filed a complaint alleging disproportionate adverse impact against their predominantly minority and low income residents caused by the conceptual design of the proposed I-5 Corridor Improvements Project managed by WSDOT and the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). RNA alleged that the design of the proposed project involves major displacements in their neighborhood, particularly “K” street, causing the type of high and disproportionate adverse environmental impact prohibited by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and EO 12898 on Environmental Justice.
RNA files Title VI Complaint – April 19, 2003
Re: Title VI and Environmental Justice Complaints in Vancouver, WA
This document was prepared by the Rosemere Neighborhood Association (RNA), which is staffed entirely by volunteers who reside in the Rosemere Neighborhood. Part of the RNA’s mission, which is in keeping with the filing of this complaint, is to: “Encourage [...]
Rosemere Neighborhood Association Water Walk – December 7, 2003
(RNA Board Members, Rosemere residents, and concerned environmental activists gather in the rain to hear Thom McConathy explain the terrain and our community’s failing stormwater and groundwater facilities.)
On December 7, 2003, the RNA Board, accompanied by environmental activists, toured the Burnt Bridge Creek Basin and Vancouver Lake to learn more about the contamination of our waterways. This tour was lead by Thom McConathy, a very active community steward who has passionately fought to save our ground and surface waterbodies for more than 20 years. Mr. McConathy is among our community’s most knowledgeable experts on the subjects of water quality and contamination, and he has been instrumental in helping the RNA address the contamination of Burnt Bridge Creek and Vancouver Lake, as discussed in the RNA’s federal Title 6 complaint.
