Environmental Justice and Civil Rights

John C. Cruden
Washington Lawyer, January 2006

"...Environmental justice has become part of the practice of environmental law and a social norm. When I spoke at the dean’s lecture at Howard, I did so with an attorney who has been my opposing counsel in past litigation, Ben Wilson, a distinguished and accomplished litigator at Beveridge & Diamond, P.C.

Ben and I litigated, and then settled, a well-known lawsuit involving the New Orleans’ sewer system. The key to settling this contentious and hard-fought case was an agreement to undertake what has become one of the best known environmental justice projects—an important project of which our clients and we felt proud to play a role.

Lincoln Beach, on Lake Pontchartrain, is a former African American beach that was closed shortly after desegregation. Through disuse and other problems it had become a dangerous and polluted area for the surrounding community. As part of our settlement, the defendants agreed to return the beach to a “fishable and swimable” condition. That restorative effort, which has now been achieved, dramatically revitalized the community and benefited the environment..."