Title VI | Rosemere Neighborhood Association

Press Release: RNA Wins Landmark Environmental Justice Case Against EPA’s Office of Civil Rights

September 18, 2009 Author: admin

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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.

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Rosemere V. EPA, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Case – April 14, 2009

April 16, 2009 Author: admin

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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. [Read More...]

Excerpt from the WSDOT Title VI Update and Accomplishment Report – June 4, 2003

March 25, 2009 Author: admin

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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. [Read More...]

RNA files Title VI Complaint – April 19, 2003

March 24, 2009 Author: admin

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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 participation of all residents and to prohibit discrimination based on the following: race, religion, color, gender, national origin, marital status, familial status, income level, age, sexual orientation, disability, political ideology, ethnicity, gender identification, literacy, and the ability to speak English;” and to “Promote and encourage environmental awareness and preservation in Rosemere.”

This document is arranged in two parts: I) A General Overview of the Complaint in Relation to 17 Affected Neighborhoods in West Vancouver; II) The Complaint as it Relates Specifically to the Rosemere Neighborhood.

View full Title VI Complaint here.

Rosemere Neighborhood Association Water Walk – December 7, 2003

March 24, 2009 Author: admin

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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.

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