Environmental Justice Action Plan for Its Land Protection and Cleanup Programs – January 2022

“The draft [Office of Land and Emergency Management] (OLEM) EJ Action Plan covers projects and activities intended to address land cleanup issues in overburdened communities across the country. The draft plan includes strategies to enhance nearly two dozen projects while addressing the need for stronger compliance, increased environmental justice considerations in EPA regulations, and improved community engagement.

The draft OLEM EJ Action Plan will be significantly enhanced by EPA’s recent announcement of a $1 billion investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the first wave of a total of $3.5 billion under the Law, to initiate cleanup and clear the backlog of 49 previously unfunded Superfund sites and accelerate cleanup at dozens of other sites across the country. EPA is currently finalizing cleanup plans and preparing funding mechanisms for construction work, all of which will contribute to the goals of the draft OLEM EJ Action Plan.â€