Dear John,

We’re just days away from the election, and the campaign mailers are piling up in mailboxes like leaves on the ground. We don’t need to belabor the stakes – those have been made abundantly clear during this record-breaking election season that, although truncated, has trudged on. Since we’re a 501(c)3 we can’t tell you who to vote for but we can tell you to vote! And don’t underestimate the importance of down ballot races. A lot of times it’s our city counselors, public service commissioners, and others who determine whether local governments are supportive or hostile towards frontline communities. 

At the federal level there have been some important movements worth tracking. Thankfully earlier this month the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the EPA’s power plant emissions rules. This happens in the shadow of a bill proposed in the Senate, EPRA, that would gut foundational environmental legislation that protects all communities from polluting industry. Keep reading to learn more about this bill and what you can do about it. 

National / International

• 'Sigh of Relief' as Supreme Court Gives EPA Another Temporary Win

Northeast

• New York Supreme Court Denies Motion to Dismiss by Gov. Hochul on the Congestion Pricing Block Lawsuit

  ‘Climate Justice Lives Here!’: UPROSE marks NYC Climate Week with action and art

West

• https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2024-10-16/phillips-66-will-shut-historic-wilmington-refinery
• Governor Newsom Signs SB 1420, Hydrogen Project Streamlining Bill That Could Harm Communities and the Environment

Pacific Northwest

• Groups seek reinstatement of Oregon’s Climate Protection Program

Dirty Deal Permitting Reform Resources: Why EJ Opposes EPRA 

Energy Permitting Reform Act (EPRA) 101

Background on Attacks against permitting & NEPA in both chambers of Congress: 

EJ Sign on Letter

Letter from 118 U.S. Scientists on the Climate Impacts of the Energy Permitting Reform Act

As we mentioned, Senator Manchin’s dirty deal is back again with a different name but the same and new harmful provisions. The Energy Permitting Reform Act (EPRA) of 2024 would turn back the hands of time for community rights and environmental safeguards against polluting industry.

Can you take 1 minute to educate yourself and if you feel so inclined, send an email to your members of Congress today and let them know where you stand on the issue? Climate Justice Alliance opposes this form of permitting reform and we hope those lawmakers who voted against it in years past (we beat this back 3 previous times before!) will not succumb to political pressure and do what is right for communities this fall. They should reject any legislation this year that includes these attacks on community rights and recourse. It will impact us all. Read our 101 fact sheet here.

Here’s a list by state with the key staff that you can email for each of your Representatives and Senators. Draft language is below that you can feel free to make your own.

✔ Send a letter to your Members of Congress urging them to oppose this harmful legislation. 

SUBJ: My community opposes this dirty deal, again

Dear [INSERT the STAFFER’S NAME HERE], 

I want to make you aware of my community’s strong opposition to Senator Manchin’s Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 which would weaken and significantly reduce the effectiveness of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and permitting rules and regulations that currently exist.  If this was passed, it would strip away communities’ rights and the foundational protections afforded us under NEPA and other bedrock protections that ensure a pathway for community input and recourse against toxic and polluting industries. In reality, it would roll back so much of the environmental and climate justice wins we have organized around and won for decades. 

Should this head to a vote during the lame duck session, I really hope that my Congressional delegation will stand with constituents and oppose this latest attempt to weaken the few safeguards our communities have in the face of big industry. I strongly urge you to listen to and support communities, especially those that are being hit first and worst by the climate crisis.  With your vote, you can either protect our communities or hurt us, we hope we can count on you to stand with us.

Sincerely, 

Stay tuned for updates on EPRA in the next few weeks.

Members of CJA's Just Recovery Working Group pose for a picture in Guåhan

Earlier this month, CJA’s Just Recovery Working Group traveled to Guåhan to support Micronesia Climate Change Alliance’s (MCCA) community resilience efforts. During our time in the Mariåna Islands, we visited MCCA’s newly established resilience hub, participated in a 1-mile journey through the sacred lands of Litekyan (Ritidian) where the US military is building a  live fire training range, and attended MCCA’s annual Making Waves conference centered on community care and a just recovery. A large component of this trip was learning how harnessing CHamoru customs and culture provides community based solutions to climate disasters as well as resistance to ongoing militarization. 

During the Making Waves Conference, members from the Just Recovery Working group – representing Environmental Transformation Movement of Flint, Smile Trust, People’s Justice Council and Soulardarity – held a workshop to foster dialogue and deepen collaboration around equitable recovery strategies in the wake of climate disasters. Participants were put into groups and given a disaster scenario including blizzards, extreme heat, and contaminated water. Then they were asked to craft effective responses rooted in local community knowledge. This workshop sprouted many conversations about different resources and strategies needed to strengthen our collective response to climate emergencies. 

CJA members also participated in a toxic tour around the island where we saw military installations, mass testing grounds for weapons, heavy industry and large scale developments suffocating the island. The stories shared by CHamoru people underscored the profound impact of US imperialism - not just on their lands but on their identity and ways of being. 

We officially launched our Executive Director hiring process in September. In preparation for this, we had many conversations within CJA’s ecosystem – from members to staff – about what we need in new leadership during such an important time for the alliance. We brought on a recruitment firm to support our ED hiring committee to identify and interview ideal candidates. 

Stay tuned for an announcement about our new ED in the coming months!