Mustafa Ali, then a young Black staff member in the Office of Environmental Justice, had a foot in both worlds. Pruitt proposed gutting the agency’s budget by 25 percent, to just under $6 billion from $8 billion. As reported in The Oregonian newspaper, an internal memo called for dismantling the Office of Environmental Justice and reducing related funding by 79 percent, to $1.5 million from $6.7 million. “By ensuring that there is equal protection and enforcement in these communities, E.P.A. plays a significant role in addressing unintended impacts and improving some of the public health disparities that often exist from exposure to pollution.”On June 1, 2019, about 60 Philly Thrive members gathered in front of P.E.S.

Source: New York Times July 28, 2020 09:00 UTC