Adam Beitman, adam.beitman@sierraclub.org or 202-670-5585
WASHINGTON, DC– Today, President Trump introduced a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure plan that would exempt thousands of infrastructure projects from or otherwise weaken critical environmental laws including the Endangered Species Act (ESA), Clean Air Act, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and more than a dozen other protections.
The 28 organizations named below issued the following statement in response:
“President Trump’s proposal is an unprecedented giveaway to the wealthy and powerful that would allow his administration and its special interest allies to unilaterally sidestep bedrock conservation, public health, and worker safety laws that keep our families and communities out of harm’s way.
“Across the country, Americans remain overwhelmingly opposed to any plan that would sidestep critical environmental and conservation laws like the Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, and National Environmental Policy Act. They know we don’t need to hand over our communities to special interests. They know we don’t need to sacrifice our clean air, clean water, wildlife, and iconic lands and waters.
“President Trump’s dangerous proposal would hand out massive subsidies for wealthy developers to build roads and bridges without any regard to the impacts of hurricanes, fires, or rising seas. Taxpayers have repeatedly built and rebuilt many of the buildings and roads destroyed by disasters like Hurricane Maria and Hurricane Irma. To continue rebuilding over and over again without taking common-sense, proactive measures to address climate change isn’t just short-sighted – it’s expensive and dangerous.
“America badly needs an infrastructure upgrade. Horrifying events like the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, which exposed over 100,000 Americans to high levels of lead in their drinking water, are proof enough of that. But President Trump’s proposal does nothing to address real issues like Flint. Instead, by rubberstamping permits for corporations to build oil pipelines, dams, and toxic waste dumps, gutting environmental and labor laws, and severely limiting the public’s ability to hold government accountable will only make our communities – and our nation – a more dangerous place.”
Alphabetical list of the 28 signers of the joint statement:
32BJ SEIU, American Rivers, Animal Welfare Institute, Alaska Wilderness League, Bold Alliance, Brooklyn Movement Center, Care2, Center for Biological Diversity, Center for Community Change Action, Clean Water Action, Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice, Endangered Species Coalition, Food and Water Watch, Friends of the Earth, Green Latinos, Hip Hop Caucus, Hispanic Federation, League of Conservation Voters, Natural Resources Defense Council, Patriot Not Partisan, Progressive Congress Action Fund, San Juan Citizens Alliance, Save EPA, Sierra Club, State Innovation Exchange, Western Watersheds Project, The Wilderness Society
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.