Remarks for the Synthetic Organic Chemical Plants and Polymers and Resins Plants Final Rule Event, As Prepared for Delivery
Michael Regan
Washington, DC
Thank you, Nalleli, for that introduction...and for your years of leadership and advocacy for the city of Houston.
I made a commitment to ensure that young people always have a seat at EPA’s table, and I’m proud that we’re making good on that promise.
I am also proud to have my good friend, Congressman Troy Carter in the house today!
Congressman, thank you for joining us. We appreciate your commitment to the health and safety of your community and the nation.
Many of the folks in this room have been fighting for years—or even decades—to advance community-driven solutions that place justice at the center of environmental protection.
It’s incredible to be here among so many giants in the environmental justice space.
To Ms. Sharon Lavigne, Mr. Robert Taylor, and Dr. Beverly Wright, thank you so much for being here ... and thank you for inspiring me with your visions, your leadership and your strength.
A special thank you to Dr. Wright and the Deep South Center, for always keeping it 100 … holding all parties accountable and making the case with sound science, facts and data.
My trip to Cancer Alley in November 2021 is one that I’ll never forget.
Being on the ground and seeing first-hand the multigenerational and widespread havoc pollution can have on so many lives was truly eye-opening.
And it was that experience that set the tone for this EPA’s approach to advancing environmental justice.
I’m so grateful for your advocacy and continued support.
Thank you to Patrice Simms of Earthjustice...We appreciate your legal brilliance and leadership.
Since day one as administrator, I committed to embedding EJ into the DNA of EPA.
For too long our communities … black, brown, indigenous and low income communities have disproportionately suffered from bad air quality, high levels of water pollution, and the worsening impacts of climate change.
The simple fact is...all people, no matter the color of your skin or how much you have in your pockets, deserve clean air to breathe, clean water to drink and a safe place to live … away from environmental hazards and harm.
And that’s why we launched Journey to Justice.
It crucial to meet face-to-face with folks on the frontlines of injustice, AND we needed to use our bully pulpit to shine a spotlight on these communities so that we could share it on a national and global scale.
So, with the help of the national media and social media, we set out on a journey to tell YOUR story...and that’s exactly what we did.
The whole world heard directly from folks who had been neglected, silenced, and ignored.
And because of that, for as long as I live, I’ll never forget that first swing through Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.
I traveled through Cancer Alley and met with person after person—generations of family members—whose lives and health had been directly impacted by their environment.
I visited a school in Louisiana where young children—the very same age as my son Matthew—were learning and playing right next door to a massive chemical plant.
So, before I returned home, I vowed to the communities we visited that EPA would use every tool in our toolbox to respond to the unconscionable conditions we saw while on the ground.
And we’ve been taking bold action ever since...
That’s why today, I am proud to announce we are issuing a final technology standard that will eliminate more than 6,000 tons of toxic air pollution from these facilities each year...slashing EtO and chloroprene pollution by an astounding 80%...reducing elevated cancer risks for those living near these communities by 96%.
Folks, this is a gamechanger for the health and prosperity of communities nationwide. Today is a new day!
According EPA’s analysis, once the rule is fully implemented, no one will have elevated cancer risk from EtO or chloroprene emissions from equipment and processes covered by this rule.
And while we’re protecting communities, at the same time, we’re advancing President Bident’s Cancer Moonshot initiative, a commitment to ending cancer as we know it.
From day one, President Biden and this administration have fought to secure a cleaner and healthier future for all. And with today’s action, we are one step closer to achieving that future.
Everyone—no matter the color of their skin, the money in their pocket, or the community they live in—deserves clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and the opportunity to lead a healthy life. And we won’t stop fighting until we get there!
So, let me close by saying thank you for helping us get here and thank you all for continuing to help us make this planet a safer and better place to live.
Thank you!