Federal Investigation Finds Alabama Ignored Public Health Crisis from Raw Sewage, Disproportionately Impacting Black Communities

The U.S. Department of Justice found Alabama's health department engaged in a pattern of neglect regarding risks of raw sewage exposure for residents in Lowndes County.
An interim resolution agreement aims to address longstanding wastewater sanitation problems in the high-poverty county.
The agreement is the result of the first environmental justice investigation under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The agreement requires the state create a plan to address the crisis and suspend fines for residents lacking means to fix septic systems.
Similar wastewater infrastructure problems exist in other impoverished areas of Alabama.