Carlton Waterhouse

Carlton Waterhouse is an international expert on environmental law and environmental justice, as well as reparations and redress for historic injustices. In 2021, he was appointed by President Joe Biden in the role of Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of Land and Emergency Management at the Environmental Protection Agency and nominated to the United States Senate to serve as the Assistant Administrator for the office. During his two years serving in the Office of Land and Emergency Management, he oversaw the nation’s programs for toxic waste site remediation, community revitalization and redevelopment through contaminated site cleanup, hazardous and solid waste materials management, chemical plant safety, and emergency response to toxic spills, fires, and explosions. He is a Fulbright research scholar and is a former board member of the Environmental Law Institute and the Natural Resources Defense Counsel. He actively participates in national and local organizations protecting civil rights and advancing environmental protection and justice. His views have been published in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and other media outlets. Using an interdisciplinary approach, Professor Waterhouse examines critical social issues facing the country and the world in his scholarship. His forthcoming book with Cambridge University Press explores the historic and contemporary role of the United States Supreme Court in maintaining and dismantling racial dominance. His scholarship includes essays, articles, and book chapters focused on the ethical and legal dimensions of environmental justice and reparations. Carlton is a Professor of Law and the founding director of the Environmental and Climate Justice Center at the Howard University School of Law School.