Carolyn Morrisroe, carolyn.morrisroe@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) released a proposed rule to amend certain aspects of its regulations for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The phased approach to modifying the NEPA regulations would start with three specific changes in Phase 1 to restore certain regulatory provisions from the original 1978 regulations. Phase 2 would take a more comprehensive look at additional changes to ensure public involvement in the environmental review process.
The Sierra Club believes the Phase 1 move to firm up the regulations in NEPA is an important first step. The proposed change would provide communities with more complete information about the environmental and health implications of proposed projects. Restoring the obligation to consider direct, indirect, and cumulative emissions is critical for disclosure of climate and environmental justice impacts.
For instance, reviews that don’t look at indirect and cumulative effects of fossil fuel projects (such as coal mines, gas leases, pipelines), miss 95 percent of climate emissions and their impact on communities. The Environmental Protection Agency confirmed in its report in September that climate impacts will fall disproportionately on low-income and communities of color, making it clear that climate change is an environmental justice issue.
It’s also critical that as the stakeholder outreach of Phase 2 moves forward, CEQ takes a broader look at additional changes to help ensure public involvement in the environmental review process.
At the same time, Congress must build on the administration's efforts to restore NEPA by passing a bold Build Back Better Act with robust funding for NEPA implementation. This funding will allow agencies to fund thorough stakeholder processes with communities. Congress should also amend the bipartisan infrastructure bill to strip out damaging provisions related to NEPA that would fail to secure our communities’ urgent needs for clean air and water, a livable climate, and a more equitable future.
In response, Leslie Fields, National Director of Policy, Advocacy, and Legal for the Sierra Club, issued the following statement:
“A robust NEPA is a necessary tool for protecting communities, especially communities of color, that have faced ecosystem destruction and air, water and land pollution in the name of infrastructure investments.
“NEPA plays an instrumental role in combating environmental racism by requiring federal agencies to include a proposed project’s potential environmental, economic, and public health impacts on low-income, communities of color, and rural communities. It’s imperative that CEQ’s rule change, the Build Back Better Act, and the bipartisan infrastructure bill work in concert to ensure that all communities are protected from environmental harm.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of 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.