Representative Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) is launching the first-ever People's Environmental Justice Caucus with Representatives Rashida Tlaib (D-MN) and Summer Lee (D-PA).
Described as building off the work of Rep. Grijalva's late father, Raul Grijalva, and A. Donald McEachin (1961-2022) -- especially the Environmental Justice For All Act -- the caucus seeks to advance environmental policies in cooperation with communities disproportionately affected by pollution and climate change.
The Environmental Justice For All Act was one of Raul's signature pieces of legislation, even if it never advanced beyond introduction in the House; thus, it is fitting that his daughter, the new Rep. Grijalva, seeks to uphold his legacy by forming this caucus.
Groups sponsoring the caucus include Climate Justice Alliance (CJA), the Environmental Justice Leadership Forum (EJLF) hosted by WE ACT for Environmental Justice, and the Platform for a Just Climate (formerly known as the Equitable & Just National Climate Platform).
Rep. Lee previously announced the formation of the caucus on social media, writing, "Real environmental justice is rooted in community, accountability, and action."
"I'm launching the People's Environmental Justice Caucus alongside my colleagues and leaders who have shaped this movement to build federal policy that puts the people first," she announced.
Rep. Adelita Grijalva's first bill upon entering Congress in December sought to repeal a 2014 land transfer that gave 2,422 acres of Arizona's Tonto National Forest, also known as Oak Flat, to Resolution Copper, a mining company.
The area is considered sacred among Arizona's Apache people and several other tribal governments, and the mining operation, if allowed to progress, would not only leave a massive crater but likely drain groundwater supplies in the area.
"Oak Flat is sacred, irreplaceable, and it should never have been traded away to foreign mining giants," Grijalva stated. "My father, Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva, fought for Oak Flat throughout his career, and I am proud to pick up the mantle in continuing this fight."
