The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) released a two-year action plan to collaboratively address environmental justice issues across California by enforcing laws that protect public health and the environment.
In 2021, EPA and CalEPA signed a five-year, first-of-its-kind agreement to expand joint federal-state activities for reducing pollution burdens, increasing environmental compliance and improving public health outcomes in overburdened California communities. In late 2022, the agencies released a 2023 Action Plan, and now they are releasing a 2024/25 action plan under the initial agreement, which builds on feedback from community partners and helps guide the agencies’ shared civil and criminal enforcement approaches through 2025.
“We are proud to continue this groundbreaking partnership with CalEPA to help ensure cleaner air, water and land for underserved communities across California,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “Enforcement of environmental laws has an enormous potential to address environmental justice issues, and working collaboratively with a committed state partner like CalEPA allows both agencies to focus our resources more narrowly on addressing community priorities.”
“CalEPA has long committed to working closely with community partners to understand and best respond to enforcement and compliance challenges impacting their health and well-being. We are excited to continue our first-of-its-kind partnership with U.S. EPA and leverage our shared resources to improve air, water, and soil quality and hold corporate polluters accountable,” said CalEPA Secretary Yana Garcia.
Focal areas under the 2024/2025 Environmental Justice Enforcement Action Plan include:
A renewed commitment to enhanced, sustained engagement with the five community forums in Los Angeles, Fresno County, Kern County, the Eastern Coachella Valley and the Bayview-Hunters Point community in San Francisco, which were piloted under the 2023 Action Plan.
Continued use of rapid response task forces.
Increased transparency and access to environmental compliance information for the public.
Strengthened connections, including enhanced opportunities for information sharing across communities and improved communication among program areas within agencies.
Through partnerships in each of these areas, EPA and CalEPA start with a community-first approach for strategic targeting and enforcement. The agencies convene monthly meetings to understand community concerns, follow up on all complaints, work across environmental areas (e.g., air, soil, water) and levels of government to seek solutions, and regularly communicate with the forum’s participants regarding their progress and any challenges. EPA and CalEPA may use civil and criminal enforcement tools at their disposal to determine the most appropriate actions to hold facilities accountable or, when needed, refer them to the most appropriate authority.
