Attorney General Ashley Moody has taken a stand against the Environmental Protection Agency's "environmental justice" initiatives, leading a 23-state coalition in filing a legal action demanding the EPA to revise its Title VI regulations. Moody expressed, "The EPA should be focusing on enforcing the environmental laws passed by Congress, not so called ‘environmental justice,’ which is a euphemism for Biden’s extreme agenda. His radical exploitation of Title VI, if followed, would force states to unconstitutionally discriminate against their own citizens. The EPA should grant our Petition and revise its Title VI regulations."
The coalition's petition highlights concerns regarding the EPA's use of Title VI regulations under the Biden administration to advance "environmental justice" initiatives. It states that these initiatives involve racial engineering by asking states to make decisions based on race when issuing environmental permits, rather than considering the environmental impact and other relevant factors.
Referring to a Petition for Rulemaking, Attorney General Moody and the coalition draw attention to the U.S. Supreme Court's skepticism regarding the validity of the EPA's disparate impact regulations. The petition also suggests that the EPA's regulations may violate the Equal Protection Clause, emphasizing the need for a revision to align with Title VI and ensure no unconstitutional discrimination against citizens.
The attorneys general conclude by urging the EPA to revise its Title VI regulations to uphold the original understanding of Title VI and the Equal Protection Clause. Attorney General Moody is supported in this legal action by a coalition including the attorneys general of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
The full petition can be accessed for further details on the multistate legal action led by Attorney General Moody.