WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the polluter backed "Smoggy Skies Act" (H.R. 806), marking another attempt by the fossil fuel industry to dismantle the Clean Air Act’s science-based health protections. These protections are essential to protecting children with asthma and people with chronic heart conditions from life threatening levels of pollution that can send them to the emergency room on bad air days.
WAUKEGAN - City Council approved a resolution committing the City of Waukegan to adopt the Paris Climate Agreement goals, and authorized the Mayor to join the Compact of Mayors. The Paris Agreement, a historic international climate accord which entered into force on November 4, 2016, has been signed by every nation on earth except war-torn Syria and Nicaragua, which would like it to be even stronger. The City’s decision comes just over a month after President Donald Trump announced that the United States would exit the Paris Agreement.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, the House Appropriations Committee marked up a Homeland Security appropriations bill that includes funds for a wall on the Southern U.S. border-- both an attack on human rights and conservation. The committee’s proposed $1.6 billion for a border wall would fund a 72-mile barrier which poses grave risks to human safety and critical Southern U.S. ecosystems. On Friday, news was released that an initial phase of Trump’s proposed wall construction would fragment the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge.
WASHINGTON, D.C. --Today, the U.S House of Representatives released its Fiscal Year 2018 budget resolution which includes instructions that would allow the House Natural Resources Committee to throw open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for destructive oil drilling via the federal budget process. By instructing the committee to find $5 billion over 10 years, Congress can throw out protections from drilling in the Arctic Refuge through the budget reconciliation process.
Washington, DC -- Today, the Trump administration released its objectives for renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The objectives suggest a repeat of labor and environmental provisions from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) -- a deal whose demise Donald Trump widely took credit for -- that were deemed too weak by virtually all leading labor and environmental groups.
Medford, OR -- Oregonians gathered Sunday at the Bureau of Land Management Medford Office to demonstrate support for parks, monuments and public lands as Secretary Zinke visits Oregon. He visited Cascade-Siskiyou as part of his ongoing review of national monuments across the country. Already as part of the review Secretary Zinke has recommended eliminating portions of the Bears Ears National Monument in Utah and has signaled an intent to reduce protections elsewhere.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Sierra Club submitted 33,647 public comments from its members and supporters to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today calling for the immediate implementation of the Effluent Limitations Guidelines (ELG) compliance guidelines for coal-fired power plants - also known as the water toxics rule. These standards went into effect in 2015, but on June 6, Scott Pruitt’s EPA published notice of a rule to stay ELG compliance deadlines as the rule was being reviewed.
Albany, NY -- Community leaders and concerned citizens held a press conference today to shine a light on the unneeded ratepayer subsidies provided to the Cayuga coal-fired power plant in Lansing, New York, and its threat to local communities. Along with the telepresser Sierra Club unveiled new tactics urging Governor Cuomo to make good on his pledge to retire all coal-fired power in the state by 2020.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
7/13/2017
NDAA | Reaction to Debate on Thwarting DOD’s Ability to Assess Climate Risks
Some Republicans Ready to Endanger National Security to Protect Polluter Profits
WASHINGTON, DC - Some House Republicans are engaged in an effort today to undermine the ability of the Pentagon to analyze and address climate change.
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Sierra Club and Kentucky Waterways Alliance filed a federal lawsuit today against Kentucky Utilities, seeking cleanup of toxic coal ash waste at the E.W. Brown Power Plant near Harrodsburg that is leaking pollution into Herrington Lake, contaminating the water, sediments, and fish.