Environmental
Justice
Environmental Justice
Communities of color, Tribes, and low-income communities often experience a disproportionate share of the negative impacts of pollution and industrial development. Taking the lead from our clients and partners who are working in these communities, Crag helps strengthen organizing efforts by educating and advocating for legal solutions to remedy disparate impacts of environmental pollution. Crag’s first environmental justice case challenged under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act the Environmental Protection Agency’s failure to respond to complaints from the Rosemere Neighborhood Association in Washington. We have continued environmental justice work since that first landmark victory, including representing native communities in Alaska and Oregon to protect subsistence hunting and cultural values.What We’re Working On

Highlighting leaders of the youth climate movement
Highlighting leaders of the youth climate movement by Ceci Yeh | September 27, 2023Activists protest from the Portland Youth Climate Strike from September 2023. Photo by PYCS.Coming to Crag as a high school intern, I was inexperienced in the world of youth climate...

What President Biden’s recent Executive Order means for our Environmental Justice work
While it’s soon too to tell, here are five reasons why we are hopeful agencies will implement this Environmental Justice executive order to create meaningful change.

Achieving Environmental Justice through Legislation
In theory, we have federal laws on the books that should advance environmental justice, but in practice, they fall short. That’s why Crag’s work supporting community based organizations in advancing Environmental Justice legislation is so important.

Why We Do The Work – Environmental Justice Podcast feat. Rebeka Dawit
Rebeka joined Beyond Toxics staff Arjorie and Teryn to discuss environmental justice, environmental racism in West Eugene, and how each of them started doing environmental justice work in the first place.

Yacolt Mountain Quarry
Crag is representing The East Fork Community Coalition (EFCC) in reviewing the proposed expansion of mining operations in the YMQ and ensuring that Clark County follows all applicable laws in the process.

JH Baxter: Air Pollution in West Eugene
Crag and our client, Beyond Toxics, hold JH Baxter, a creosote manufacturer, accountable for decades of air pollution in West Eugene.

Restoring Portland Harbor
Crag represents the Nez Perce Tribe’s interests in the Portland Harbor Superfund project on the Willamette River. The lower stretch of the Willamette River, near its confluence with the Columbia River, has long been central to the livelihoods and traditions of the...