Cumulative Impacts

Air Quality & Pollution | Community-led Climate Solutions | Cumulative Impacts | Defending Our Climate Future | Energy Policy | Health Equity | Policy Research & Advocacy

Dare to Breathe
ByDuende May 19, 2026June 18, 2026

May is Clean Air Month, but nearly half of Americans live in areas with unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution, and people of color and low‑income communities are impacted the most. Our communities deserve clean air; it’s not a privilege – it’s a human right. On May 19, 2026, Clean Air for the Long Haul and the Platform for a Just Climate co-hosted a virtual briefing examining the Trump EPA’s recent rollbacks of key clean air and environmental protections and what they mean for environmental justice communities. Community leaders and experts discussed what was at stake and suggested ways to take action to protect the health and safety of frontline communities. Learn more and get involved at http://daretobreathe.org/.

Clean Air for the Long Haul is a subset of the Environmental Justice Leadership Forum, convened by WE ACT for Environmental Justice. The Platform for a Just Climate is convened by the Center for Earth, Energy, and Democracy.

Read More Dare to Breathe
Air Quality & Pollution | Carbon Pollution Standards | Coalition Members | Cumulative Impacts | Defending Our Climate Future | EPA | Platform Signatories

Fact Sheet: Trump Admin Rolls Back Limits to Air Pollution from Power Plants (Mercury & Air Toxics Standards)
ByDuende February 20, 2026June 24, 2026

Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) limit the amount of mercury and other toxic
emissions from coal- and oil-fired power plants. On Friday, February 20, 2026, the Trump administration announced it is rolling back clean
air regulations limiting mercury and other hazardous toxins from power plants. The
rollback will lead to greater emissions of mercury, heavy metals, and increase the risk of
cancer, lung, and heart disease for communities living near coal power plants. Check out our fact sheet to learn more about MATS, the rollback timeline, and its impact on our communities.

Read More Fact Sheet: Trump Admin Rolls Back Limits to Air Pollution from Power Plants (Mercury & Air Toxics Standards)
Air Quality & Pollution | Building Just Climate Futures | Coalition Members | Communications & Narrative Building | Community-led Climate Solutions | Cumulative Impacts | Health Equity | Inflation Reduction Act | Justice40

“Clean Up To Green Up”: Building a Clean Energy Workforce and Brighter Future in Detroit
ByDuende March 12, 2024June 18, 2026

Industrial facilities are most often located in or near Black, Latino, Indigenous and low-income communities, exposing residents to disproportionately high levels of pollution, public health risks and hazardous working conditions. Donele Wilkins created the Green Door Initiative after experiencing the impact of these inequities in her community in Detroit.

Read More “Clean Up To Green Up”: Building a Clean Energy Workforce and Brighter Future in Detroit
Building Just Climate Futures | Cumulative Impacts | Energy Policy | EPA | Policy Research & Advocacy

Letter on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Proposal to Grant Louisiana Primacy
ByDuende June 30, 2023June 16, 2026

Louisiana—a state entrenched in the fossil fuel industry and with one of the worst environmental records in the nation—could end up overseeing regulation of carbon dioxide waste if the state’s bid for primary enforcement responsibility – or primacy – over carbon dioxide waste injection wells is approved by the EPA. Below is a letter from members of the Equitable and Just National Climate Forum (EJNCF) to EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan

Read More Letter on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Proposal to Grant Louisiana Primacy
Air Quality & Pollution | Building Just Climate Futures | Coalition Members | Communications & Narrative Building | Community-led Climate Solutions | Cumulative Impacts | Health Equity

A Community’s Stand Against Pollution in Newark: Stories From the Movement
ByDuende May 1, 2022June 18, 2026

Dr. Ana Baptista, co-director of the Tishman Environment and Design Center, shares the story of how, after decades of suffering from polluting projects—such as ports, waste dumping sites, and chemical plants—community members in Newark, New Jersey, are fighting back against toxic pollution and environmental racism.

Read More A Community’s Stand Against Pollution in Newark: Stories From the Movement
Air Quality & Pollution | Building Just Climate Futures | Coalition Members | Cumulative Impacts | Mandatory Emissions Reductions | Policy Research & Advocacy

Fact Sheet: Defining an Environmental Justice Community for Mandatory Emissions Reduction Policy
ByDuende September 1, 2021June 24, 2026

Members of the Platform for a Just Climate came together to develop recommendations to provide an effective framework for identifying environmental justice communities for state- or federal-mandated emissions reductions in environmental justice policy. This report is a culmination of research and discussions among coalition members on the topic.

Read More Fact Sheet: Defining an Environmental Justice Community for Mandatory Emissions Reduction Policy
Air Quality & Pollution | Building Just Climate Futures | Coalition Members | Communications & Narrative Building | Cumulative Impacts | Health Equity

A community’s fight against environmental racism in Savannah — Stories from the Movement
ByDuende April 1, 2021June 17, 2026

Dr. Mildred McClain shares the story of how radioactive pollution from a nuclear weapons production site led to the founding of the Harambee House/Citizens for Environmental Justice in Savannah, GA. For more than 30 years, the Harambee House has fought environmental racism by providing community members with tools to become agents of change within their own neighborhoods.

Read More A community’s fight against environmental racism in Savannah — Stories from the Movement
Building Just Climate Futures | Coalition Members | Cumulative Impacts | Platform Signatories | Policy Research & Advocacy

Partner spotlight: This release features the work of platform co-authors and signatories in helping to lay the groundwork for, and shape New Jersey’s landmark environmental justice bill.
ByDuende September 18, 2020June 16, 2026

New Jersey Sets National Precedent with Environmental Justice Bill Signing Today
(Trenton) – After decades of local struggle and grassroots advocacy, New Jersey made history today when Governor Murphy signed into law a first of its kind Environmental Justice Bill (S232 – Singleton/McKeon/Weinberg/Ruiz). The law will direct the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to deny or condition certain permits due to cumulative, disproportionate impacts of pollution in environmental justice communities. This bill is the realization of countless efforts by environmental justice communities from Camden to Newark that have long called on the state to protect already overburdened communities. It is a beacon for environmental justice communities across every state and can pave the way for comprehensive national legislation.

Read More Partner spotlight: This release features the work of platform co-authors and signatories in helping to lay the groundwork for, and shape New Jersey’s landmark environmental justice bill.
Air Quality & Pollution | Coalition Members | Communications & Narrative Building | Community-led Climate Solutions | Cumulative Impacts | Health Equity

No Community Left Behind: Mossville, Louisiana
ByDuende February 4, 2020June 17, 2026

For generations, residents of Mossville, Louisiana – a town founded by former slaves and the site of more than a dozen refining and chemical industry facilities – have been disproportionately exposed to toxic pollution. The Environmental Justice Health Alliance for Chemical Policy Reform, Coming Clean, and the Center for American Progress highlight the story of Delma and Christine Bennett, longtime residents of Mossville, who have personally experienced the effects of toxic pollution and environmental racism.

Read More No Community Left Behind: Mossville, Louisiana

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