White House spending targets social justice; criteria vague

By FELICIA FONSECA and MICHAEL PHILLIS
Associated Press

WINSLOW, Ariz. (AP) — The Biden administration says the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will spend $14 billion on a variety of infrastructure and environmental restoration projects that promote social, economic and environmental justice. A flood control project in Winslow, Arizona, and the restoration of a tidal channel in Puerto Rico are among the funding recipients. The White House says the funding decisions align with its promise to create benefits for disadvantaged communities. But some of the rules for allocating funding are still being written and some local officials and activists are worried about whether they’re being applied in a way that fulfills the administration’s promise. Experts say just how much environmental justice boosts a project’s funding chances is unclear.