Justin McCarthy, (540) 312-3797, jmccarthy@partnershipproject.org (on the ground contact)
Angel Amaya, aamaya@worc.org, (361) 779-2572 (on the ground contact)
Nadia Perl, (510) 928-1717, nperl@nrdc.org (on the ground contact)
**For reporters who cannot attend in person, the press conference will be live-streamed on Facebook. WATCH HERE at 8:30am MT.**
(Denver, CO) -- On Tuesday, February 11, local elected officials, leading members of frontline and Indigenous communities, and environmental advocates from across the country will host a day of action calling on the Trump administration to protect the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
In January, the Trump administration released a draft rule severely rolling back NEPA--a critical environmental and civil rights law that protects communities from dangerous, rushed, or poorly planned projects and gives the public an opportunity to comment on major federal projects like roads, bridges, and pipelines. Stakeholders will be using the “public hearing” in Denver--one of just two locations across the country--to draw attention to this attack on our climate, public health and public review.
What:
- Press conference with local elected officials, leading members of frontline and Indigenous communities, and environmental advocates (8:30-9:00am)
- Rally followed by a “people’s hearing” (12:00-1:00pm)
- Panel discussion about NEPA and stories from frontline communities (4:00-5:30pm)
Who:
- Full list of speakers to be announced Monday, February 10
When: Tuesday, February 11, 2020 starting at 8:30am MT
Where: The Alliance Center
1536 Wynkoop St
Denver, Colorado 80202
RSVP to Gabby Brown, gabby.brown@sierraclub.org
More information at protectyourvoicenow.org.
###
Background Information
The White House Council Environmental Quality (CEQ) on Thursday, January 9th released a draft rule rolling back the implementing procedures for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
The Trump Administration's efforts to undermine NEPA are a thinly veiled attempt to make it easier to rubber stamp projects for corporate polluters, entrench the administration’s denial of climate science and severely restrict public input in federal decision-making.
NEPA requires federal agencies to engage in a review process to identify any significant environmental, economic, social, or health impacts a project may have before decisions are made and construction begins. NEPA’s mandatory public comment periods also provide a powerful tool for local communities to speak up in favor or opposition of major federal actions that affect their health, well-being, and environment. Thanks to NEPA, millions of people have been given a voice in federal government decisions impacting their daily lives.
CEQ is only offering an extremely short comment period of 60-days and 2 public hearings located in Washington, DC and Denver, CO, despite the fact that NEPA is one of the most broadly applicable laws in the entire federal government and applies to every “major federal action” the government takes.
Participating Organizations
350 Colorado
American Indigenous Movement
Animal Welfare Institute
Center for Biological Diversity
Cloud Foundation
Colorado Latino Forum
Colorado Rising
Defend Our Future
Defenders of Wildlife
Diné Citizens Against Ruining Our Environment
Earthjustice
EARTHWORKS
Frack Free New Mexico
Frack Off Chaco
GreenLatinos
League of Conservation Voters
Moms Clean Air Force
Moving Forward Network
National Parks Conservation Association
Natural Resources Defense Council
New Energy Economy
NM Youth United for Climate Crisis Action
Pueblo Action Alliance
Sierra Club
The Wilderness Society
Western Organization of Resource Councils
WildEarth Guardians
Wilderness Workshop
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.