The Cumulative Impacts Act of 2023 would require the federal government to evaluate how pollution from multiple sources combines to harm public health when issuing environmental permits under the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act. Companies seeking permits for major air pollution sources would need to submit analyses showing how their emissions, combined with existing pollution in the area, affect nearby communities—including sensitive populations like children, elderly people, and low-income residents. Federal regulators could deny permits or impose stricter controls if the combined pollution poses a reasonable risk of harm to public health, and could deny permits to companies with histories of repeatedly violating environmental laws. The bill aims to address the disproportionate pollution burden on communities of color and lower-income neighborhoods, which have historically housed concentrated industrial facilities. The Environmental Protection Agency must establish criteria for identifying "persistent violators" within 180 days of the bill's enactment, and major permits lasting three or more years must be revised within 18 months of new standards being adopted under this law.
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