Lowndes County, AL – Today, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) released the following statement regarding the announcement of an interim resolution agreement in the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) environmental justice investigation into the Alabama Department of Public Health and the Lowndes County Health Department (collectively ADPH) in Lowndes County, Alabama.

“As a daughter of the Black Belt, I have seen firsthand the abhorrent wastewater conditions that my constituents face, resulting in part from decades of disinvestment, inaction, and neglect. The disproportionate impact that this crisis has on the Black residents of Lowndes County is completely unacceptable.

“I am grateful to the DOJ and the Department of Health and Human Services for identifying a set of concrete steps that must be taken to address the wastewater crisis. It is my hope that the State of Alabama will fully comply with this agreement and do its part to provide access to basic sanitation services for the residents of Lowndes County. My constituents deserve nothing less.

“This agreement represents a step forward in our continued fight for equitable and safe wastewater systems in the Black Belt, but our work is far from over. I will continue working to pass legislation and secure more funding at the federal level to address this crisis. Access to adequate wastewater infrastructure is a basic human right.”

More information on the interim resolution agreement can be found here.