Referred to the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Hazardous Materials.
Congressional Research Service
Official summary
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Jan 4, 1996
Environmental Equal Rights Act of 1995 - Amends the Solid Waste Disposal Act to authorize individuals residing in an environmentally disadvantaged community in which a new solid or hazardous waste management facility is proposed to be constructed to petition the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency or the State to prevent the facility from being constructed or from operating in such community. Denies such a petition only if the proponent of the proposed facility establishes that: (1) there is no alternative location that poses fewer health and environmental risks; and (2) the facility will not release contaminants or engage in any activity that is likely to increase the cumulative impact of contaminants on the environmentally disadvantaged community. Defines an "environmentally disadvantaged community" as an area within two miles of the borders of a site on which a waste management facility is proposed to be constructed and that meets specified criteria concerning minority populations, poverty, and existing hazardous or solid waste facilities or hazardous waste sites.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Aug 21, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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