America forges a new legacy by cleaning up legacy pollution
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) makes the largest investment in cleaning up legacy pollution in American history.
“Legacy” is defined as “something handed down from the past.” We often think of this word as associated with positive outcomes, but the phrase “legacy pollution” refers to toxins and harmful materials that have been left behind and abandoned by past industries. Legacy pollution sites are often generally called “brownfield” and “superfund” sites, and specific examples include abandoned mine lands and orphan/abandoned oil and gas wells. These sites cause air, water, and land contamination, pose serious safety hazards, and harm the health and well being of nearby communities. The impacts of legacy pollution have disproportionately harmed low income communities and communities of color across the United States. In fact, more than one in four Black and Hispanic Americans live within three miles of a Superfund site.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the bipartisan infrastructure law and passed by Congress in the fall of 2021, makes the largest investment in cleaning up legacy pollution in American history. With this $21 billion dollar investment, we have the opportunity to be the generation whose legacy is environmental clean-up– leaving behind cleaner water, cleaner air, and healthier communities! The funding falls into four major programs and we discuss each in more detail below.