Doug Jackson, 202.495.3045 or doug.jackson@sierraclub.org
HOUSTON, TX -- Today, only miles from two recent environmental tragedies, Donald Trump signed an executive order that would erode bedrock protections for water and communities while seeking to roll back commonsense safeguards contained in the Clean Water Act by attacking state’s ability to ensure water quality is protected.
The White House chose to stage today’s signing just down the road from two tragic disasters that occurred within the past month, killing one worker, sending two more to the hospital, and sending toxic pollutants into Houston and surrounding communities.
In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune released the following statement:
“The towering shadows of the two most recent environmental tragedies in a city that has incurred more than it can remember cannot cover up Donald Trump’s latest attempt to sell out our waterways, our health, and our communities to corporate polluters. Houston and dozens of communities across the country are clear examples of what can happen when leaders fail to ensure necessary safeguards for deadly and dangerous pipelines and facilities.
“Today’s executive orders are just another attempt by Donald Trump to give corporate polluters a free pass to pollute our water and put our health at risk. This attempt strips communities of their ability to act in the public’s interest and address the pollution of their waterways.
“States must be able to protect communities from the polluting corporations that threaten them and their waterways. The Sierra Club will fight these executive orders with every tool at our disposal.”
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, 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.