Sierra Club Statement on DOI and EPA Funding Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, the House passed HR 266 which would fund the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of the Interior (DOI) through September 30, 2019. During Donald Trump’s government shutdown the EPA has stopped drinking water system inspection, power plant inspection, chemical facility inspection, superfund cleanup , inspections of hazardous waste management sites and chemical facilities, reviews of pesticides, and processing Freedom of Information Act requests (FOIA).

At the DOI, National Parks staff are furloughed and conditions are deteriorating, 99 percent of U.S. Geological Survey staff, 84 percent of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff, and half of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement staff are furloughed, and all eight climate adaptation science centers are offline. Without park rangers, national parks are overloaded with trash, poop, and vandalism. The bill now moves onto the Senate.  

In response, Sierra Club Legislative Director Melinda Pierce released the following statement:

"While Donald Trump keeps the government shutdown over a needless border wall, it’s clear there’s no barrier that will stop him and Senate Republicans from risking American’s health and safety by giving into corporate polluters. Americans don’t deserve to be put in harm's way over Trump’s border wall boondoggle -- Senate Republicans should pass this bill -- and each of the other three standalone funding bills to open up vital government agencies -- and get our government working again.”