For Immediate Release
February 13, 2017
Contacts:
Beth Tener - btener@ndcollaborative.com (617) 939-3601
Emily Norton - emily.norton@sierraclub.org (508) 397-6839
ADVISORY
Supporters Will Rally to Thank EPA Employees in Boston
Boston, MA – A rally is being held tomorrow, Valentine’s Day, at 8 a.m. outside the Region One Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) office in downtown Boston (5 Post Office Square) to show support for EPA employees charged with protecting human health and the environment, including the air, water, and land.
A vote is expected within days by the US Senate on President Trump’s nominee for EPA Administrator, Scott Pruitt. As Oklahoma Attorney General (AG), Pruitt filed fourteen lawsuits against EPA and has publicly questioned the validity of climate change science. As AG he eliminated the budget for the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Environmental Enforcement Unit and shut it down.
U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) filed legislation to completely abolish the agency by the end of 2018.
Over one hundred people are expected to attend the rally. They will carry signs reading “Thank You EPA” and “Science Matters”, and distribute notes to employees on their way into work reading “your work is vital and touches the lives of millions, now and into the future” and “we stand strong with you.”
“This is a rally of appreciation for the incredibly valuable work of EPA,” said Beth Tener, the citizen who conceived of the idea. “At a time when people are activated to protest and resist what we don’t want, we need to bring visible support to what we value. We are here to show support to public institutions and their employees who are dedicated to protecting our air, water, land and health.”
Emily Norton, Massachusetts Director for the Sierra Club, said, “We have been inundated with donations and volunteer signups ever since Trump’s election. People especially in Massachusetts appreciate the natural beauty of our state, they believe in science, and they refuse to see fossil fuel companies' interests prioritized over protection of our environment.”
Nancy Goodman, Vice President for Policy at Environmental League of Massachusetts, said, “We gather today to thank EPA staff for all their work over the decades to make sure we have clean air, clean water, and our health is protected. We shouldn’t take a clean environment for granted. It’s important that we recognize and appreciate our public servants and that we insist that sound science guides our decisions.”
The rally will be held on February 14th from 8am – 8:20am, at 5 Post Office Square in Boston, MA, which is on Congress Street between Milk Street and Water Street.