1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

We must oppose the termination of the historic settlement aimed at improving wastewater treatment services for Black communities in Alabama's Black Belt region. This agreement, reached under the Biden administration, represented a crucial step towards addressing the severe environmental injustice that has forced generations of residents to endure the health hazards of living in proximity to raw sewage. Calling it an "illegal DEI and environmental justice policy" disregards the well-documented reality that these communities have been denied access to basic sanitation due to systemic racism and neglect. Revoking this agreement based on buzzwords like "environmental justice" and "DEI" ignores the fundamental civil rights and public health issues at stake. Residents have a legitimate right to humane living conditions free from contamination by raw sewage. Terminating the settlement is an arbitrary and inhumane decision that flies in the face of the empirical evidence of discrimination against these disadvantaged communities. We urge continued implementation of the settlement to conduct comprehensive assessments, launch public awareness campaigns, and provide affordable sewage treatment solutions. Ensuring access to adequate sanitation is a basic human right that should transcend political divisions. Failure to address this crisis perpetuates a legacy of environmental racism that no American should tolerate. Swift action is needed to protect the health and dignity of Alabama's Black Belt residents.