In a notice Tuesday, the Biden administration said it will investigate whether the state’s implementation of its Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) program denies benefits or otherwise excludes participation on the basis of race.
Environmental and civil rights groups have previously alleged the state discriminates against Black Alabamans in its management of the program, saying officials have made it “impossible for people who need help with onsite sanitation to access this money,” which “disproportionately harm[s] Alabama’s Black residents.”
The complaints specifically allege that the state Department of Environmental Management has failed to conduct proper outreach to disadvantaged communities, depriving Black residents of “an equal opportunity to compete for federal funding.”
Alabama disagrees with the allegations underlying the agency’s newest probe, and said it has “made addressing the wastewater and drinking water needs of disadvantaged communities a priority” in awarding federal funding.
Read more in a full report at TheHill.com.
