Environmental Justice Leaders Hail $17 Million in House Bill

Funding for the EPA’s environmental justice program would nearly double under the House-passed spending bill, heartening community leaders who say the funding is badly needed.

The House on Friday passed a minibus (H.R. 7608) that includes $17 million overall for environmental justice programs at the Environmental Protection Agency. That’s a significant boost from the $9.55 million provided in the fiscal 2020 enacted budget for environmental justice activities.

The underlying Interior-Environment bill contained $15 million for EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice to enact the EJ 2020 Action Agenda. A Democratic amendment to the minibus added another another $2 million ...