FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Justice Department Settles with New Jersey Bus Company Over Unequal Treatment of Passengers with Disabilities
The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement with DeCamp Bus Lines Inc., a New Jersey transportation company, to ensure that bus transportation is provided on equal terms to people with disabilities.
The Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey determined that DeCamp Bus Lines violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by requiring that passengers with disabilities provide 48 hours of advance notice to secure a wheelchair-accessible bus, even though passengers without disabilities did not have to provide any advance notice. The settlement agreement requires DeCamp to comply with all ADA requirements for accessible service, and not exclude persons with disabilities from its transportation services.
As part of compliance with the ADA, DeCamp will stop requiring that passengers with disabilities provide advance notice to secure an accessible bus and to ensure that no passenger with a disability is denied an accessible bus when the passenger does not provide advance notice. DeCamp will also no longer post, distribute or publish any written material that states that a passenger with a disability is required to provide advance notice to secure accessible transportation and train all employees and contractors on the requirements of the ADA.
"Individuals who use wheelchairs should be able to expect the same level of bus service from large operators that is provided to others," said Eve L. Hill, Senior Counselor to the Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division. "The department is committed to ensuring that bus companies are complying with this requirement."
"People with disabilities should not be forced to take needless action simply to use a bus service designed for everyone," said U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Paul J. Fishman. "With this settlement, the Justice Department ensures individuals riding DeCamp will receive correct information about their access to transportation, and that access will not be denied."
Title III of the ADA prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities by public accommodations, including motorcoach companies. Since Oct. 29, 2012, the Department of Transportation’s regulations implementing the ADA require that all large, fixed-route motorcoach bus fleets be 100 percent accessible to individuals with disabilities, including individuals who use wheelchairs. Once a fleet is 100 percent accessible, the motorcoach bus company may no longer require advance notice to provide accessible service. The Department of Transportation’s regulations also require that such companies perform regular maintenance checks to ensure that wheelchair lifts work, train their employees on accessibility requirements and file annual accessibility reports with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The United States was represented by Trial Attorneys David W. Knight and Michael Riess of Civil Rights Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Campion of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
Showing posts with label NEW JERSEY. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NEW JERSEY. Show all posts
Monday, June 17, 2013
Friday, July 15, 2011
DOJ, EPA OFFICIALS TOUR NEWARK, N.J. SEEKING ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
The following is an excerpt from the U.S. Department of Justice website:
“Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Justice Department and EPA Officials Focus on Environmental Justice in Newark, New Jersey
NEWARK, N.J. – Senior environmental enforcement officials from the U.S. Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) toured sites in Newark, N.J., today and met with federal partners and with environmental and community organizations to discuss mutual efforts to address environmental challenges and enforce environmental laws, and in particular efforts to achieve environmental justice.
Officials included Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General of the Environment and Natural Resources Division; Paul J. Fishman, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey; and Cynthia Giles, Assistant Administrator for the EPA Office of Enforcement Compliance Assurance. They were joined by Judith A. Enck, EPA Region 2 Administrator; and Lisa F. Garcia, EPA Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice.
The goal of environmental justice, a major priority of the Department of Justice and the EPA, is to provide all Americans – regardless of their race, ethnicity or income status – full protection under the nation’s environmental laws and protection from pollution, hazardous waste and toxic substances.
“The people of New Jersey understand the critical importance of environmental protection, and the real world consequences of industrial pollution,” said Assistant Attorney General Moreno. “By enforcing the nation’s environmental laws in a fair and even-handed way, we are taking steps to ensure that we achieve environmental justice. We are listening to communities and giving voice to those that have too frequently suffered an unfair burden from pollution in America.”
“New Jersey has seen an unjust share of environmental damage, and we have the opportunity and obligation to do something about it,” said U.S. Attorney Fishman. “Specific, targeted criminal and civil enforcement actions can make a real difference to our environment - preserving it for those who treasure it and punishing those who break laws that protect it.”
“Enforcement is a powerful tool in advancing environmental justice and deterring illegal pollution,” said Assistant Administrator Giles. “We are aggressively going after pollution problems that make a difference in communities, like keeping raw sewage and contaminated stormwater out of our nation’s waters and cutting toxic air pollution that affects communities’ health.”
“Low income communities across the country have historically shouldered a heavy pollution burden,” said Judith A. Enck, EPA Regional Administrator. “Just because someone lives in a low income neighborhood, they should not be exposed to air pollution, toxic chemicals, degraded water quality or have less access to parks and open space. The EPA is committed to protecting public health and environmental quality in every part of the country. With improved environmental quality should also come opportunities for job creation.”
11-906
Environment and Natural Resources Division”
“Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Justice Department and EPA Officials Focus on Environmental Justice in Newark, New Jersey
NEWARK, N.J. – Senior environmental enforcement officials from the U.S. Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) toured sites in Newark, N.J., today and met with federal partners and with environmental and community organizations to discuss mutual efforts to address environmental challenges and enforce environmental laws, and in particular efforts to achieve environmental justice.
Officials included Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General of the Environment and Natural Resources Division; Paul J. Fishman, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey; and Cynthia Giles, Assistant Administrator for the EPA Office of Enforcement Compliance Assurance. They were joined by Judith A. Enck, EPA Region 2 Administrator; and Lisa F. Garcia, EPA Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice.
The goal of environmental justice, a major priority of the Department of Justice and the EPA, is to provide all Americans – regardless of their race, ethnicity or income status – full protection under the nation’s environmental laws and protection from pollution, hazardous waste and toxic substances.
“The people of New Jersey understand the critical importance of environmental protection, and the real world consequences of industrial pollution,” said Assistant Attorney General Moreno. “By enforcing the nation’s environmental laws in a fair and even-handed way, we are taking steps to ensure that we achieve environmental justice. We are listening to communities and giving voice to those that have too frequently suffered an unfair burden from pollution in America.”
“New Jersey has seen an unjust share of environmental damage, and we have the opportunity and obligation to do something about it,” said U.S. Attorney Fishman. “Specific, targeted criminal and civil enforcement actions can make a real difference to our environment - preserving it for those who treasure it and punishing those who break laws that protect it.”
“Enforcement is a powerful tool in advancing environmental justice and deterring illegal pollution,” said Assistant Administrator Giles. “We are aggressively going after pollution problems that make a difference in communities, like keeping raw sewage and contaminated stormwater out of our nation’s waters and cutting toxic air pollution that affects communities’ health.”
“Low income communities across the country have historically shouldered a heavy pollution burden,” said Judith A. Enck, EPA Regional Administrator. “Just because someone lives in a low income neighborhood, they should not be exposed to air pollution, toxic chemicals, degraded water quality or have less access to parks and open space. The EPA is committed to protecting public health and environmental quality in every part of the country. With improved environmental quality should also come opportunities for job creation.”
11-906
Environment and Natural Resources Division”
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