{"id":4016,"date":"2020-07-16T13:47:11","date_gmt":"2020-07-16T17:47:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/weact.org\/updates\/we-act-for-environmental-justice-responds-to-build-back-better-plan\/"},"modified":"2026-02-13T19:07:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T00:07:00","slug":"we-act-for-environmental-justice-responds-to-build-back-better-plan","status":"publish","type":"update","link":"https:\/\/weact.org\/es\/updates\/we-act-for-environmental-justice-responds-to-build-back-better-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"WE ACT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE RESPONDS TO BUILD BACK BETTER PLAN"},"template":"","class_list":["post-4016","update","type-update","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","update_type-press-release","person_tax-peggy-shepard"],"acf":{"details":{"":null,"featured_image":5221,"update_type":[366],"focus_area":false,"authors":[232],"abstract":""},"page_layout":[{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","acfe_flexible_toggle":"","component_wysiwyg":{"content":"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<\/strong>
\r\nJuly 16, 2020
\r\nContact: Dana Johnson, dana@weact.org<\/a>, 773-495-1677<\/p>\r\n

WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 This week former Vice President Joe Biden released the \u201cBuild Back Better Plan\u201d in response to the economic and climate crises. WE ACT for Environmental Justice co-founder and executive director, Peggy Shepard, reviewed the plan and provided the following statement that includes recommendations for deepening the efficacy of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency:<\/p>\r\n

\u201cIt is a well-documented fact that the climate crisis is most deeply felt in environmental justice communities \u2013 places where people of color and those of low-income reside. We need bold ideas and comprehensive plans that will address the legacy of environmental harms that persist where we live, play, and work and that contribute to poor health outcomes, economic instability, and climate fragility. This is our time to act and the infrastructure, transit, power sector, buildings and conservation ideas offered in the \u2018Build Back Better Plan\u2019 are a significant first step for responding to the ambivalence and structural racism that is prolonging the climate crisis.<\/p>\r\n

Also, I was the first woman to Chair the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC) to the Environmental Protection Agency. During my tenure as Chair, which lasted from 2001-2003, I witnessed a disregard of Title VI administrative complaints and a lack of accountability and reporting on the agency\u2019s progress in addressing environmental degradation in our communities. We must restore and strengthen accountability, compliance and reporting within the EPA by:<\/p>\r\n