Sec. 10. Ombuds
369 words·~2 min read·
/bill/117/hr/2021/ih/section-10A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
The Administrator shall establish within the Environmental Protection Agency a position of Environmental Justice Ombuds. The Environmental Justice Ombuds shall— report directly to the Administrator; and not be required to report to the Office of Environmental Justice of the Environmental Protection Agency. The Environmental Justice Ombuds shall— in coordination with the Inspector General of the Environmental Protection Agency, establish an independent, neutral, accessible, confidential, and standardized process— to receive, review, and process complaints and allegations with respect to environmental justice programs and activities of the Environmental Protection Agency; and to assist individuals in resolving complaints and allegations described in subparagraph (A); identify and thereafter review, examine, and make recommendations to the Administrator to address recurring and chronic complaints regarding specific environmental justice programs and activities of the Environmental Protection Agency identified by the Ombuds pursuant to paragraph (1); review the Environmental Protection Agency’s compliance with policies and standards of the Environmental Protection Agency with respect to its environmental justice programs and activities; and produce an annual report that details the findings of the regional staff, feedback received from environmental justice communities, and recommendations to increase cooperation between the Environmental Protection Agency and environmental justice communities.
The Administrator shall make each report produced pursuant to subsection
(c)available to the public (including by posting a copy of the report on the website of the Environmental Protection Agency). The Administrator shall allow the Environmental Justice Ombuds to hire such staff as the Environmental Justice Ombuds determines to be necessary to carry out at each regional office of the Environmental Protection Agency the functions of the Environmental Justice Ombuds described in subsection (c). Staff hired pursuant to paragraph
(1)shall— foster cooperation between the Environmental Protection Agency and environmental justice communities; consult with environmental justice communities on the development of policies and programs of the Environmental Protection Agency; receive feedback from environmental justice communities on the performance of the Environmental Protection Agency; and compile and submit to the Environmental Justice Ombuds such information as may be necessary for the Ombuds to produce the annual report described in subsection (c). Each individual hired by the Environmental Justice Ombuds under paragraph
(1)shall be hired as a full-time employee of the Environmental Protection Agency.