Supporting Funding for, an Involvement with, Re-building our Nation’s Public Infrastructure

WHEREAS, communities of color, located in underserved communities or elsewhere, are traditionally left out of the planning and construction of critical infrastructure and the education, training, job placement and career opportunities in the clean, renewable, and energy efficient technologies and environmentally friendly sectors; and

WHEREAS, the participation of communities of color and women in the emerging energy economy and modernization of the electric grid, transportation, flood protection and water and waste water systems will strengthen our nation's infrastructure and protect the lives and restore the properties of communities of color; and

WHEREAS, all communities deserve accesses to safe, clean water supplies, stable and affordable energy supplies, and protection from the catastrophic effects of flooding; and

WHEREAS, communities of color often lack the same access to safe, clean drinking water supplies as is enjoyed by non-minority communities; and

WHEREAS, communities of color have experienced disproportionate, adverse impacts from the lack of access to safe, clean drinking water due to aging, crumbling infrastructure as evidenced by the recent water quality crisis in Flint, Michigan; and

WHEREAS, building flood protection projects, and drinking water and wastewater, and clean energy infrastructure is costly to local communities, and the permits required to build them is difficult to obtain in a timely and efficient manner; and

WHEREAS, given the high costs to build and rehabilitate such infrastructure and the extensive process to obtain a permit which is required to build and rehabilitate the infrastructure, these projects often cannot be built using only local funding, and need additional funding from local, federal and state sources.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the NAACP will advocate to influence Federal and State infrastructure legislation, and its implementation, to ensure that African Americans, other communities of color, and women are not excluded or left behind in the distribution of infrastructure, clean green and renewable energy dollars; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP advocates that the regulatory process for infrastructure and clean energy projects be streamlined without compromising the environmental protections or increasing the negative impacts in African American and other communities of color; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP will advocate that federal, state, local authorities and private entities engage African Americans, other communities of color, and women in discussions and developments of infrastructure, energy and critical infrastructure policies, regulations, research & development technologies, and environmental issues; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the NAACP will advocate to ensure that clean and renewable energy jobs, business opportunities, education and workforce, development opportunities are accessible and provided to African Americans and other communities of color, and women.