FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: March 28, 2024
Contact: Tim Cywinski, (540 272-5358, tim.cywinski@sierraclub.org
ENVIRONMENT GROUPS RELEASE LETTER OPPOSING GOVERNOR YOUNGKIN’S ACTIONS TO UNDERMINE THE VIRGINIA COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
Richmond, Virginia - Today, a coalition of concerned organizations vehemently condemn Governor Glenn Youngkin's recent actions to undermine the Virginia Council on Environmental Justice (Council). Established by former Governor Terry McAuliffe in 2017 and later solidified as a permanent advisory body, the Council has been crucial in upholding environmental justice principles to safeguard vulnerable communities from disproportionate pollution impacts.
Governor Youngkin's deliberate refusal to appoint members to the Council for over two years has effectively paralyzed its operations, obstructing critical decision-making processes and preventing the delivery of its annual report to the General Assembly. Moreover, the recent appointments made by Governor Youngkin brazenly flout the mandated representation of diverse constituencies, further undermining the Council's ability to fulfill its mission effectively.
Gustavo Angeles, Environmental Justice Program Manager of the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter, stated, “To ignore the specific qualifications of the council’s members laid out in law is to ignore our commitment to environmental justice. You can’t protect people from pollution if you're constantly elevating polluters to positions of power. Governor Youngkin’s appointments are in direct violation of what the Council is supposed to represent and display a total disregard for his campaign promise to be a Governor for all Virginians.”
The Governor's mischaracterization of the Council as an impediment to local projects contradicts its fundamental duty to protect communities from environmental harm. By appointing individuals associated with polluting industries to the Council, Governor Youngkin has demonstrated a flagrant disregard for environmental justice and the well-being of marginalized communities.
The coalition calls on the General Assembly to reject Governor Youngkin's appointments and urges him to withdraw these appointments. Instead, the signatories implore Governor Youngkin to reappoint existing Council members whose terms have expired and ensure that any remaining vacancies are filled with representatives from the diverse constituencies as mandated by law.