Environmental Justice

Environmental and health hazards often have a disproportionately high and adverse impact on disadvantaged communities.  The U.S. Department of Justice is committed to securing justice for individuals and communities through the vigorous enforcement of the nation’s environmental laws and remedying wrongs caused by environmental violations. Consistent with the Department of Justice’s environmental justice emphasis, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey has established an Environmental Justice Team within its Civil Division to protect disparately burdened residents in New Jersey from environmental harms.

Laws We Enforce

The Environmental Justice Team, along with its Department of Justice and federal agency partners, enforces many important federal environmental statutes, including the following:

Toxic Substances Control Act, 15 U.S.C. § 2601 et seq.

This federal law, known as TSCA, includes rules about testing, disclosure, and/or removal of chemical substances—such as asbestos, lead-based paint, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)—in the environment and in housing.

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, 42 U.S.C. § 6901 et seq.

This federal law, known as RCRA, regulates how hazardous waste is managed at facilities from the time the hazardous waste is generated until its ultimate disposal. Its goal is to ensure the safe management and cleanup of solid and hazardous waste.

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d et seq.

This important federal law prohibits recipients of federal financial assistance from discriminating based on race, color, or national origin in any program or activity. Title VI violations may also raise environmental justice issues. For example, if a state agency receives funds from EPA to run a clean air program, that state recipient must not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national origin when engaging in clean air enforcement activities.

Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. § 1251 et seq.

The Clean Water Act establishes the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the United States and regulating quality standards for surface waters.

Safe Drinking Water Act, 42 U.S.C. § 300f et seq.

This law protects drinking water and its sources—rivers, lakes, reservoirs, springs, and ground water wells.

How to Report Environmental Justice Concerns

The Office welcomes information from the public about possible violations of our nation’s environmental laws. While we work with various state and federal agencies to uncover these violations, you have a voice in shaping our work and investigations. Please let us know of any environmental, health, and climate impacts on individuals and communities occurring in New Jersey. You may submit information, concerns, or complaints about environmental justice issues to our Environmental Justice Coordinator, Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Silagi, by email, mail, or phone. You do not need a special form to submit a complaint.

Email:

You can send your information or concerns by email to: USANJ.EnvironmentalJustice@usdoj.gov

Mail:

You can send your information or concerns by mail to:

U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey

Environmental Justice Complaints, Civil Division

970 Broad Street, Suite 700

Newark, New Jersey 07102

Phone:

To submit a complaint by telephone, dial 973-297-2046 or fax (973) 297-2010.

Complaint Form:

You can send your information or concerns through the Environmental Justice Complaint Form, available here.

Other ways to submit complaints:

You can report directly to the EPA any possible violation of environmental laws. The EPA complaint form is available here: https://echo.epa.gov/report-environmental-violations

If your complaint involves housing issues, you can also report possible violations to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. HUD’s complaint information is available here: https://www.hudoig.gov/hotline/report-fraud. Or, you can call their hotline: 1-800-347-3735.

You can also report possible violations to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection through their webpage (https://www.nj.gov/dep/warndep.htm) or their hotline at 1-877-WARN-DEP.

If the violation concerns workplace conditions such as chemicals or noxious fumes, contact the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) at: 1-800-321-6742.

If the violation concerns pesticides or harming wildlife, contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at 1-800-344-9453.

If the violation concerns harm to public land and national parks, contact the Department of the Interior’s complaint hotline at https://www.doioig.gov/complaints-requests/complaint-hotline.