Inslee proposes opening environmental justice office

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is proposing to open an office of environmental justice if he is elected president. Under the policy offered by Inslee on Monday, the new agency would be committed to solving climate-related injustice typically seen in disenfranchised and low-income communities. It's the latest in a series of climate policies offered by Inslee, who has sought to lead the Democratic field on the issue. The latest proposal comes the day before Democrats will begin two days of debates in Detroit. Inslee would turn the White House Council on Environmental Quality into the Council on Environmental Justice. The new council would then lay out what communities are the most at risk to exposure to toxic chemicals and pollution. Inslee’s plan includes investment in front-line communities, or neighborhoods located close to power plants and manufacturers that often witness the negative effects of emissions first-hand. His plan includes a guarantee that $1.2 trillion of his climate policy’s overall clean energy investments would go straight to low-income communities. It would also create an energy fund to help low-income families pay their energy bills. Low-income people are the most likely to experience pricing spikes if the U.S. switches to more renewable energy or a carbon tax...MORE