Gabby Brown, gabby.brown@sierraclub.org
Washington, DC -- Today, the Trump administration’s White House Council on Environmental Quality released new regulations that gut requirements for environmental reviews of fossil fuel projects under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
Under the changes to NEPA, released at the request of the fossil fuel industry, federal agencies would not be required to consider the effects major infrastructure projects would have on the climate. Agencies would also be allowed to ignore the effects of rising sea levels, extreme weather, and other results of the climate crisis on proposed infrastructure. The changes would also limit opportunity for public participation and open the door to potential conflicts of interest.
Signed into law in 1970, NEPA requires the government to give an opportunity for public input and take environmental, economic, and health impacts into consideration before approving any major project. Attempted actions by the Trump administration to rush through approval of a number of controversial fossil fuel proposals -- including Keystone XL and a massive expansion of drilling on public lands -- have been rejected by the courts because the administration failed to conduct adequate environmental reviews required under NEPA.
In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune released the following statement:
“Today’s action is nothing more than an attempt to write Donald Trump’s climate denial into official government policy. Communities across the country are already feeling the effects of climate change, but rather than protect them, Trump is pulling out all the stops to silence their voices and further prop up his corporate polluter friends. We will pursue every available avenue to fight back against Trump’s shameless attack on our clean air and water, the climate, and our families’ health.”
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.