State efforts to pass environmental justice legislation this year have been a “glass half full,” but still better than federal efforts so far, advocates say.
Legislation has failed, or is deemed likely to die, in nine of the 16 states that have taken up major environmental justice measures in the first half of 2021, according to Bloomberg Government state legislation tracking. Such proposals target long-standing environmental inequities in low-income neighborhoods and areas where many residents are people of color.
Nevertheless, justice advocates say the state-level activity has outpaced any in Congress.
“Environmental justice remains a priority ...