I am pleased to share with you American Rivers’ newest resource at the intersection of rivers, clean water and equity, American Rivers’ Water Justice Toolkit: A Guide to Address Environmental Inequities in Frontline Communities. The Water Justice Toolkit was produced by Suhani Chitalia, as part of her 2019-2021 Anthony A. Lapham Fellowship. See her blog about the Toolkit here.
The Water Justice Toolkit: A Guide to Address Environmental Inequities in Frontline Communities was developed to provide legal resources to support, encourage, and engage community leaders experiencing environmental injustice. This “toolkit” includes a set of six guides for local communities and organizations to either start or supplement their environmental justice efforts:
1: Clean & Safe Water Guide
2: Equitable Flood Risk Management Guide
3: Title VI Environmental Justice Complaints & Compliance Guide
4: Local Land Use Planning & Zoning Guide
5: Public Participation Guide
6: Community Science Guide
Each guide provides a basic overview of federal laws and policies. In addition to explaining legal avenues, the toolkit highlights numerous case studies where community organizers have implemented policy tools to address local environmental justice issues.
