John - I have an urgent request.

Earlier this year the Trump administration announced a massive environmental rollback. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)—fundamentally about community empowerment and democratic decision-making—is one of the most important environmental laws you may have never heard of. And now it’s being gutted. Today is the deadline to voice your opposition to this rollback! 

This bipartisan act, signed by President Nixon in 1970, was the first significant piece of federal environmental legislation. 

For over 50 years low-income communities and communities of color have used NEPA to fight major polluting projects proposed in their communities. NEPA promotes environmental and racial justice, and democracy by: 

1. Requiring federal agencies to study and disclose a proposed project’s potential environmental, economic, social, and health impacts on low-income, minority, and rural communities;
2. Providing opportunities for meaningful input from those affected communities. 

The proposed changes significantly cut the amount of time spent reviewing environmental impacts and hearing public opinion—or completely eliminate it. 

^{Musician and spoken word artist Lyla June Johnston at the Protect Our Voices Rally in Denver, CO.}

For communities long polluted by industry or tailpipe pollution, these rollbacks would be devastating. The rules would be rewritten so that proposed facilities wouldn’t need to take into account existing pollutants. Impacted communities already suffering higher rates of asthma, cancer, and pollution-related illness would be even more densely packed with toxic industries. 

Today marks the end of a 60-day comment period. We only have hours left to show widespread opposition to these rollbacks. Tell the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) that impacted community voices must be protected. 

We need to find common-ground climate solutions. Not steps backwards. 

Protect our first line of defense by adding your voice today. 

Thanks for taking action, 

Eleanor and the Green For All Team