Jackson, Mississippi, residents will now have a formal seat in negotiations that could determine the future of clean water access.
The change comes from a “motion to intervene” in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) case against the city of Jackson. Filed by the Center for Constitutional Rights on behalf of the Mississippi Poor People’s Campaign and the People’s Advocacy Institute, it marks the first time in decades that Jackson residents will have a voice in the rehabilitation of the water infrastructure.
“This is a very significant win for us,” said Danyelle Holmes, an organizer with the Mississippi Poor People’s Campaign and a resident of Jackson. “This is what we have been long fighting for — a voice at the table and being able to be a part of the governance process as it relates to the water and sewer infrastructure here in the city of Jackson.”
For years, the water infrastructure in the capital city of 150,000 residents has failed against extreme weather, such as flooding and freezing temperatures. Worsening climate events are emerging pressures on the water system. Still, advocates say the reasons Jacksonians lack access to reliable, safe water are reflective of a deeper pattern of anti-Black city planning, sub-par infrastructure funding, and a failed promise from the federal government to invest in “environmental justice” communities.
“Residents have been left in the dark when it comes to public health,” said Jessica Vosburgh, a senior staff attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights. Intervenor status might change that.