The U.S. Attorney’s Office Is Working to Further Environmental Justice Throughout the Southern District of Indiana

Thank you to the Indiana Justice Project for the invitation to write this guest blog post.  

I am an Assistant United States Attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana, where I serve as the Office’s Environmental Justice Coordinator. It is my privilege to showcase the efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in advancing environmental justice throughout the Southern District of Indiana and ensuring that all communities enjoy equal access to a healthy environment. 

The Department of Justice’s Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy 

Part of the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office works with other federal agencies—including EPA, OSHA, and others—to enforce America’s civil and criminal environmental laws, such as the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and hazardous waste laws.  

 Last year, the DOJ issued its Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy. That strategy guides departmental attorneys and investigators across the nation in advancing the cause of environmental justice through the enforcement of federal laws.  

As that strategy lays out, the DOJ is committed to deploying its civil and criminal enforcement tools to remedy systemic environmental violations, contaminations, and injury to natural resources in underserved and historically marginalized communities, including low-income communities and communities of color. That includes using enforcement tools available under environmental protection laws, seeking damages via the False Claims Act, and pursuing actions under the civil rights laws, worker safety and consumer protection statutes. 

 Recent Enforcement Successes 

Earlier this fall, the DOJ released its first Annual Report on the Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy. As that report makes clear, the Department has had great success over the past year.  

Through its investigative and litigation resources, and working in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the DOJ achieved a landmark resolution of an environmental justice investigation into wastewater disposal and management systems in Lowndes County, Alabama, relating to a  pattern of inaction and neglect concerning raw sewage in predominantly Black neighborhoods.   

The Justice Department also brokered a settlement of an environmental justice investigation into the City of Houston’s response to illegal dumping in Black and Latino neighborhoods, securing safeguards to combat illegal dumping and developing improved waste management services for residents across Houston. 

Here in the Southern District of Indiana, the U.S. Attorney’s Office successfully prosecuted a contractor in Richmond, Indiana, who violated the Toxic Substance Control Act’s requirements for lead paint renovation. Lead-based paint is the leading cause of lead poisoning in children, which can result in permanent developmental and health problems. As a result of this investigation, the contractor admitted that he failed to follow the law regarding lead-paint remediation efforts, exposing children and other residents to health dangers.  

Continued Success Depends on Public Reporting and Community Engagement 

Members of the public and community organizations throughout the District play a vital role in the Department’s ability to achieve these environmental justice successes. The U.S. Attorney’s Office encourages the public to report environmental issues, hazards, and concerns, and we have worked to provide resources for effective reporting: 

• Members of the public who have concerns about environmental matters in the Southern District of Indiana can report them via email at USAINS-Environmental@usdoj.gov.  

• The Office’s Environmental Justice and Public Health website also contains links to many other federal agency resources on environmental enforcement and avenues for reporting violations to the federal government. 

• Our Office also regularly conducts outreach initiatives with organizations throughout the District. Feel free to reach out to our Office at USAINS-Environmental@usdoj.gov for more information about outreach efforts or to discuss ways that our Office might be able to assist in upcoming events. 

J. Taylor Kirklin 

Assistant United States Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana 

Any opinions or views expressed herein represent those of the author and not of the Department of Justice.