Josh Hurwit, United States Attorney for the District of Idaho, announced today the creation of a new method for members of the public to report information about environmental violations and issues of environmental justice. U.S. Attorney Hurwit encourages residents to contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at USAID.Environment@usdoj.gov when also contacting local, state, or federal agency hotlines or websites to report environmental health or safety concerns. The public is also welcome to contact the Office at (208) 334-1211.
Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
The Office is creating this public reporting method under the Department of Justice’s Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy, which seeks to provide the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards to all our citizens, and to ensure that everyone has equal access to a healthy environment in which to live, learn, play, and work.
“Idaho’s unique natural beauty and valuable natural resources bring us together and support Idaho’s incredible quality of life,” Hurwit explained. “The strength of our environment supports many important industries and activities that make Idaho so special, from ranching and farming to backpacking, hunting, and boating. Protecting our lands, our air, and our waters is an investment we must make for future generations.”
Notifying the U.S. Attorney’s Office about environmental justice concerns helps us protect the community from harmful violations of federal law. The Office’s public reporting procedures are in addition to other methods of reporting environmental concerns to the federal government, such as the online portal maintained by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), https://echo.epa.gov/report-environmental-violations. To learn more about Environmental Justice and reporting procedures, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-id/Environmental%20Justice.
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