Washington, DC---The first National Environmental Justice For All Symposium was held in Washington, DC on May 25, 1999. The meeting, held in the Rayburn House Building, was spearheaded by members of the Congressional Black Caucus, Hispanic Caucus, and Progressive Caucus (Johns Conyers, Jr., Xavier Bacera, Sherrod Brown, Michael Capuano, Maurice Hinchy, Jesse Jackson, Jr., John Lewis, George Miller, Nancy Pelosi, Ciro Rodriguez, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Nydia Velazquez, Maxine Waters, and Henry Waxman). Throughout the day long meeting, more than a dozen members of Congress joined in the national policy deliberations with community leaders from across the United States. Thirty panelists, representing impacted communities, grassroots organizations, academia, government, and industry, expressed the importance of developing a national plan to prioritize environmental justice in all aspects of policy making and funding.

The symposium had four panels: Panel I - "Voices from the Frontline: Communities Fighting for Environmental Justice"; Panel II - "Strategies and Models for Achieving Economic and Sustainable Development through Environmental Justice; Panel III - "Applying Legal and Regulatory Tools to Achieve Environmental Justice: Challenges and Opportunities"; and Panel IV - "Where Do We Go from Here?"

Participants stressed the need for aggressive enforcement of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (which prohibits states and other entities from receiving federal funds from discriminating on the basis of race, color and national origin) and President Clinton's Executive Order 12898 (which directs all federal agencies to implement environmental justice in all policies, programs, and activities).

There was general agreement among the participants that improvements are needed to address policies and practices that result in disproportionate and adverse impacts on people of color, low-income populations, and vulnerable groups including children and the elderly. More work is needed to ensure that the nation's environmental, healthcare, occupational safety, transportation, energy, housing, and industrial facility siting policies do not unduly place any specific population or community at risk.

Residents from environmentally-impacted communities were especially alarmed at the rising asthma rate and respiratory illnesses among people of color, and especially children. Many of the alarming asthma rates are in nation's inner cities, industrial corridors, and nonattainment regions. U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher, who made a few brief remarks at the meeting, underscored the fact that health disparities must be attacked as a national priority.

The participants concurred that environmental justice is a major civil rights issues one that will not likely go away until the problem is resolved. The symposium participants made a commitment to work with the congressional leaders and with each other to bring about change. A symposium report and recommendations will be made available.

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