"EPA is probing California’s water department over accusations of discrimination against Native tribes and people of color, launching a significant environmental justice investigation that could affect how the state oversees water.

The agency’s civil rights office announced the move this week, saying it would look into a complaint alleging that the California State Water Resources Control Board has failed to protect the water quality of the San Francisco Bay and the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. In a letter to SWRCB Executive Director Eileen Sobeck, Biden administration officials said they would launch a preliminary review over “discrimination based on race, color, and national origin.”

While the agency emphasized its role as “a neutral fact finder,” EPA also underscored a commitment to protecting the groups that brought the complaint."

E.A. Crunden reports for E&E News August 11, 2023. [2]