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The
order will establish a new Office of Environmental Justice
within the White House aimed at coordinating efforts across the
government. It would also require federal agencies to notify
communities if toxic substances are released from a federal
facility.
Disasters like the February derailment of a freight train in
East Palestine, Ohio, that caused a hazardous chemical spill
brought attention to environmental damage that some communities
experience at higher rates.
"For far too long, communities across our country have faced
persistent environmental injustice through toxic pollution,
underinvestment in infrastructure and critical services, and
other disproportionate environmental harms often due to a legacy
of racial discrimination," the White House said in a statement.
Biden will announce the initiative during an event at the White
House Rose Garden on Friday.
The president has regularly used executive authority in areas of
focus, including the environment and race, where his ability to
deliver new laws from a divided Congress has been stymied.
(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Himani Sarkar)
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