Washington, D.C. – New legislation will address generations of environmental injustices and empower frontline communities in the transition to clean energy. The Environmental Justice for All Act, introduced today by House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Congressman Donald McEachin (D-Va.), shows how the solutions to our climate and public health crisis are tied together and must be led by the communities most impacted by their effects.

“The pollutants disproportionally sickening communities of color are the same ones driving the global climate crisis,” said Mustafa Santiago Ali, the National Wildlife Federation's vice president for environmental justice, climate and community revitalization. “This legislation, developed in partnership with frontline community leaders, centers those most impacted by decades of pollution and lack of safe access to the outdoors. Together, we can address public health and economic challenges facing frontline communities while also moving forward with a just and equitable transition to clean energy — where everyone can go from surviving to thriving.”

The Environmental Justice for All Act would strengthen key legislation such as Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the National Environmental Policy Act. The bill is one of the policy recommendations put forward by National Wildlife Federation after a series of environmental justice roundtables with community organizations, elected officials, and experts. The recommendations address environmental justice issues such as water security, infrastructure, health inequities, land use, and climate change.