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I'm writing to bring your attention to a critical issue that requires our collective action: the need to strengthen rules governing implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
NEPA is not just another bureaucratic regulation; it is the bedrock of our environmental protection framework. It empowers communities like ours to have a say in projects that could pollute our neighborhoods and disrupt our lives, such as oil, gas, and carbon dioxide pipelines, new fossil fuel infrastructure, mines, or highways.
On their way out the door, the Trump Administration drastically weakened NEPA regulations, putting communities across the Midwest and the nation at risk and favoring the interests of polluting industries. Thankfully, when the Biden Administration took office, they took initial steps to restore the common-sense intent of NEPA.
The Biden Administration recently released its Phase 2 NEPA regulations, which contain important protections for environmental justice communities, require more robust analysis of climate impacts, and overturn most of the negative elements in the 2020 Trump regulations.
The Administration deserves our support, and we hope they consider enhancements that would make the proposed rule even stronger. We must make our voices heard and call for robust regulations that truly safeguard our neighborhoods.
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