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Alabama Black Belt becomes environmental justice test case: Is sanitation a civil right?

Summary

The federal government has raised the question of whether everyone has the right to basic sanitation in their homes, and it has used a civil rights investigation to push Alabama to address long-standing sewage infrastructure problems in remote and lightly populated areas. This marks the first time the federal government has taken such action, and it is seen as a significant development in the fight for civil rights. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines environmental justice as the fair treatment of all people with respect to the development and enforcement of environmental laws. President Joe Biden's administration has been focused on environmental justice and addressing the disproportionate burden faced by minority and low-income populations. Alabama has reached an interim settlement agreement with federal authorities to provide adequate sewage treatment to residents in Lowndes County, a majority-Black county that has faced sewage infrastructure challenges for years. The state now has a limited time to assess the sewage needs and develop a plan for the entire county. Failure to address the issue may lead to a re-opening of the investigation and potential violations of civil rights.

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