Today, environmental and community groups sent letters to President Biden and Congressional leaders in the aftermath of the Inflation Reduction Act becoming U.S. law. The letter to President Biden urges him to use the regulatory tools at his disposal to center public lands and waters as the cornerstone of long-term ecological and community resilience in the face of a changing climate. The letter to Congressional leaders asks them to oppose weakening environmental and community protections under discussion in Sen. Manchin’s Inflation Reduction Act-affiliated “dirty deal” (NEPA “reform” fact sheet here).
“Rather than standing by while attempts are made to gut our bedrock environmental laws, we call on the president to open new doors to a thriving, resilient future by promulgating climate-centered regulatory guardrails governing the federal public lands and waters fossil fuels programs,” said Barbara Chillcott with the Western Environmental Law Center. “Such action would complement the Inflation Reduction Act’s beneficial provisions and mitigate the adverse impacts to environmental justice communities that are unreasonably left behind by this legislation in favor of a continuation of the federal fossil fuels program.”
“Our message to Congress is simple,” Chillcott added. “Do not forget that the political challenges involved in the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act pale in comparison those faced every day by frontline communities who have long shouldered inequitable and unjust adverse health, environmental, and community impacts caused by U.S. dependency on fossil fuels. We strongly oppose any dirty side-deal that, under the guise of permitting ‘reform,’ would weaken bedrock environmental and health laws and perpetuate inequitable harm to environmental justice communities.”
Contact:
Barbara Chillcott, Western Environmental Law Center, 406-430-3023, gro.w1732369223alnre1732369223tsew@1732369223ttocl1732369223lihc1732369223
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