Trump Admin Expands
NEPA Rollback
As many across the country protest racial inequity and COVID cases go on the increase, it’s business as usual for the Trump administration, which issued an executive order that
waives National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental review
on large scale infrastructure projects.
Based on the administration’s usual tactic to
declare emergencies to circumvent bedrock legal protections
, this action sidesteps NEPA requirements to identify significant environmental and health impacts and allow for public input before projects are approved.
This impacts more than our public lands.
While NEPA provides important protections for our public lands and waters, it is also critical to safeguard public health and gives
everyone
the opportunity to speak out and stop projects that could have potentially damaging and far-reaching effects in their communities.
Unfortunately,
communities of color and the economically disadvantaged often bear the disproportionate burden of toxic air and water pollution
and this latest rollback gives industry a green light to cut corners, exploit communities, and risk our health.
Everyone
deserves to live, work, and play in healthy communities with clean air and safe drinking water. NEPA is essential for ensuring that federal agencies put the health of the land and its residents first.
