March 3, 2021 3:30 a.m.

Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley said he will serve in the 117th Congress as Chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee’s subcommittee that oversees chemical safety, waste management, environmental justice and regulatory oversight.

Merkley said “While the climate crisis will affect us all, we’ve already seen that the worst consequences of pollution fall on communities of color and communities with the fewest resources”. He said in his new role, he will do all he can to fight for those communities, “…so we can tackle racial inequities and make sure that every American – regardless of the color of this skin or where they live – has clean air to breathe and clean water to drink”.

The release said this is the first time in the Senate’s history that environmental justice is a named, key priority for a subcommittee.