Summary
- Civil rights law prohibits discrimination based on race
- Groups claim state funds do not reach Black residents in need
Oct 4 (Reuters) – The Biden administration has opened a federal civil rights investigation to examine whether Alabama environmental regulators discriminate against Black residents when giving out tens of millions of dollars in sewer and sanitation infrastructure funding.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the probe in a letter sent to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management on Tuesday, after environmental and civil rights groups including the Natural Resources Defense Council requested an investigation in March.
The EPA said it will analyze whether the state agency has violated Title VI of the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964 through its management of a federally backed clean water fund that provides low interest loans to finance public infrastructure improvements in the state.
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Reuters
By Clark Mindock
October 4, 2023