IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 362 

Affirming the need to achieve environmental justice, commending the work 

of environmental justice advocates, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 25, 2017 

Mr. MCEACHIN (for himself, Ms. JAYAPAL, and Ms. BARRAGA ́N) submitted 

the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy 

and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, 

for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case 

for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 

committee concerned 

RESOLUTION 

Affirming the need to achieve environmental justice, commending the work of environmental justice advocates, 

and for other purposes. 

Whereas environmental injustice exists whenever governmental action or inaction causes environmental risks or 

harms to fall unfairly and disproportionately upon a particular group or community; 

Whereas racial minority, low-income, rural, indigenous, and 

other often-marginalized communities are especially likely 

to face environmental injustice; 

Whereas limited resources and lack of political power ensure 

that marginalized communities host pollution-producing 


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•HRES 362 IH 

or potentially toxic facilities, including power plants, pipelines, industrial sites, garbage transfer stations, incinerators, landfills, and sewage treatment plants, at disproportionate rates; 

Whereas marginalized communities suffer from systemic governmental failures to adequately invest in the kind of infrastructure and services that reduce the risk of environmental accidents or disasters, and that facilitate swift, effective responses to such occurrences; 

Whereas the presence of pollution-producing sites can compromise public health, safety, property values, and quality 

of life even if no accident or disaster occurs; 

Whereas air and water quality are often especially poor in 

marginalized communities, and governmental permitting 

and investment decisions directly contribute to this inequity; 

Whereas scientific evidence increasingly links poor environmental quality with disabilities and chronic illnesses, including cancer, asthma, neurobehavioral disorders, learning disabilities, and abnormal hormone functioning; 

Whereas environmental justice exists when public policies 

successfully prevent or correct unfair disparities in environmental quality, and resultant disparities in public 

health and quality of life; 

Whereas environmental justice is possible only if vulnerable 

groups and marginalized communities can express their 

needs and concerns, and only then if policymakers listen; 

Whereas the environmental justice movement seeks to address the unjust social, economic, and political 

marginalization of minority, low-income, rural, and indigenous communities; 


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Whereas environmental justice advocates seek healthy home, 

work, and recreational environments for all human 

beings, and healthy habitats for non-human life; 

Whereas community health depends in part upon factors like 

adequate transit options, walkable neighborhoods, and 

other public goods that marginalized communities are 

often denied; 

Whereas environmental justice requires responsible and balanced use of land and resources, in a way that does not 

unfairly burden marginalized communities; 

Whereas environmental justice can only be achieved and sustained in the context of a greener economy; 

Whereas ‘‘greening’’ the economy requires concrete governmental actions, including investments in clean technologies; in sustainable, low-carbon transportation and 

energy production systems; and in workforce training initiatives that prepare citizens for well-paying jobs in new 

or evolving industries; 

Whereas environmental justice requires fair processes and a 

good-faith approach to public policy, including regulatory 

decision making; 

Whereas in the 1990s, in response to the environmental justice movement, Federal agencies were directed to incorporate environmental justice goals into their programs 

and activities; 

Whereas vulnerable populations and marginalized communities continue urgently to need fairer environmental policies, and more inclusive and equitable processes; and 

Whereas all Americans would be better served by a policymaking process that did not unfairly prioritize the comVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:10 May 26, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR362.IH HR362

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fort and health of some groups or communities at the expense of others: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) reaffirms the vital importance of clean air, 

3 clean water, resource conservation, and other policy 

4 goals that spurred lawmakers to enact existing envi5 ronmental and public health protections; 

6 (2) affirms that the need for adequate environ7 mental and public health protections is inextricably 

8 linked with the need for a more sustainable economy 

9 and greener, more livable communities; 

10 (3) affirms that environmental and public 

11 health policies should adequately and equally protect 

12 all Americans, and that equal protection is possible 

13 only in a context of environmental justice; 

14 (4) commends environmental justice advocates 

15 for their continuing struggle to achieve fairer, 

16 healthier, more sustainable policies and outcomes; 

17 (5) acknowledges the prevalence of environ18 mental injustices that directly affect the health and 

19 well-being of individuals and communities across the 

20 country, especially racial minority, rural, indigenous, 

21 and low-income communities; and 

22 (6) affirms its commitment to ameliorating ex23 isting environmental injustices, and to preventing fu24 ture injustices, by supporting greater objectivity, 


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1 transparency, and outreach in policymaking at all 

2 levels of government; by supporting improved two3 way communication between policymakers and those 

4 affected by their decisions; and by supporting proc5 esses that ensure policymakers give due consider6 ation not just to the effects of their decisions, but 

7 to how those effects are distributed and by whom 

8 they are borne. 

Æ 


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