| Sumario: | The article presents information on the history of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA was aware that water and sewer services are essential for neighborhood livability and understood the significant costs associated with their upkeep and development. Yet, despite recognizing that its grant program had major implications for racial segregation in land use, the EPA treated civil rights as optional rather than mandatory. The author states that this approach mirrored the evasion of responsibility seen in other federal agencies, as highlighted by Christopher Bonastia, who noted that civil rights often lack meaningful enforcement when they become politically or economically costly. The EPA’s inaction, despite knowing the harm caused by its grants, underscores the deep connections between environmental protection and structural racism.
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