Environmental Justice

On May 5, 2022, the Attorney General announced actions to enhance and advance the U.S. Department of Justice’s (Department) environmental justice work. Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Fair treatment means no group of people should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, governmental, and commercial operations or policies.

The USAO for the District of Wyoming prioritizes the safe living and working conditions for everyone in our community. To further the Department’s efforts to achieve environmental justice, the USAO for the District of Wyoming has designated an Environmental Justice Coordinator to facilitate and track intakes of environmental justice matters, serve as legal counsel for the District of Wyoming on matters relating to environmental justice, litigate civil environmental justice cases, and engage in public outreach, among other responsibilities.

Central to enforcing environmental justice is to provide public access to reporting concerns. Notifying the USAO of concerns helps protect the community from harmful violations of federal law.

To report a concern to this office, please email the Environmental Justice Coordinator. Include the following:

• Your name
• Telephone number
• Brief description of the concern.

Community members who are interested in learning about environmental justice are also encouraged to visit the Environmental Justice department's website at: https://www.justice.gov/oej

To report violations, please consider the following impacts/concerns and contact the appropriate agencies.

If the violation impacts air quality, climate change, chemicals and toxins, health, land, waste, and cleanup, or water, report the violation to the Environmental Protection Agency at: https://echo.epa.gov/report-environmental-violations.

If the violation concerns workplace conditions, such as chemicals or noxious fumes, contact the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) at 1-800-321-6742.

If the violation concerns pesticides harming wildlife, contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at 1-800-344-9453.

If the violation concerns medications, cosmetics, biological products, and other products for human consumption, contact the FDA at 1-888-463-6332.

To report an oil or chemical spill contact the National Response Center at 1-800-424-88022.