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December 5, 2022
Contact: [email protected] / 301-613-4767
Democratic Leadership Must Safeguard Communities’ Rights Not Discard Them
with Manchin’s Dirty Side Deal

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today as reports [4] surfaced that Speaker Nancy Pelosi
is advocating [5] for Manchin’s dirty “permitting reform” deal to be
attached to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), frontline
community leaders decry this “deal” as no deal for environmental
justice communities at all. Without the foundational protections afforded
us under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other bedrock
protections like the Clean Water Act that ensure a pathway for community
input and recourse against toxic and polluting industries, those on the
frontlines of the climate crisis will be sacrificed again for the sake of
big business and industry profits.

_“This is not the kind of climate legacy of which Democratic leadership
should be proud. Instead of standing with polluting industries,
Representative Pelosi and Senator Schumer should be standing with Black,
Brown, Indigenous and other frontline communities hit first and worst by
the climate crisis by strengthening, not gutting NEPA.”__ SAID MARION
GEE, CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CLIMATE JUSTICE ALLIANCE.  _

_“We beat this dirty deal back before so now, with no legitimate way to
pass it, they are ramming it through under the guise of national defense.
This is unacceptable, and any attempt to dress this dirty deal up as green,
clean, or beneficial to environmental justice communities is disingenuous
and just another perversion of hallmark legislation that must be enhanced,
not gutted.”_ _SAID __JUAN JHONG-CHUNG, CLIMATE JUSTICE DIRECTOR AT THE
MICHIGAN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COALITION WHO WAS JUST IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
TO SHARE THIS MESSAGE WITH LEGISLATORS._

_“Tribal Nations deserve a full democratic process in the spirit of
meaningful engagement and consultation, not back-room deals brokered on
behalf of fossil fuels. Speaker Pelosi and Democratic leadership have a
responsibility to block attempts that target our communities and continue
to sacrifice us to the fossil fuels industry.” __SAID JORDAN HARMON,
POLICY ANALYST AND LEGISLATIVE ADVOCATE AT INDIGENOUS ENVIRONMENTAL
NETWORK. _

Now is the time to protect and strengthen public participation and tribal
consultation, not weaken it. Yet, this will only further erode community
input, advance inadequate environmental analysis, and eliminate judicial
recourse for those most harmed by a fast tracking process, ensuring another
attack on environmental justice communities.

_“It appears that Democratic leadership would rather sacrifice our
communities again, for short term political gain, rather than stay true to
those who elected them by enacting real climate justice legislation. We
must strengthen the federal environmental review process and ensure
benefits for communities, not future disparities. Let’s be clear, this is
environmental racism and environmental injustice at its finest.” __SAID
__MARIA LOPEZ-__NUÑEZ__, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF ADVOCACY AND ORGANIZING AT
IRONBOUND COMMUNITY CORPORATION, MEMBER OF THE WHEJAC, AND CJA BOARD
MEMBER__._

Earlier this year, environmental justice communities played a pivotal role
in beating back the first attempt at passing Manchin’s dirty deal,
forcing Senator Schumer to remove it from September’s must-pass
continuing resolution. However, President Biden has continued to express
support for passing this kind of “permitting reform” which it appears
is likely to be attached to the NDAA.

If Biden really wants to speed up permitting reform and unleash a renewable
energy transition he would enhance community engagement and environmental
justice not hinder it. With adequate community consultation and design
involvement from the beginning, studies have confirmed [6] that project
delays can be avoided. Stripping this out by gutting NEPA will only further
slow down the process and codify future harm for Black, Brown, Indigenous
and other frontline communities. Let’s call this what it is: a handout to
big oil and gas companies.

Climate and environmental justice communities call on lawmakers to oppose
this dirty side deal once and for all and stay true to their promises to
stop historical harm in already overburdened communities. WE NEED TO FAST
TRACK A JUST TRANSITION, NOT A DIRTY ONE.

###

_Climate Justice Alliance is a member-led organization of 89 urban and
rural frontline communities, organizations and support networks in the
climate justice movement. We work to build real solutions to the climate
crisis through building local, living, regenerative economies while also
organizing against the harmful practice of using frontline communities as
sacrifice zones._

Climate Justice Alliance

1960A University Ave
Berkeley, CA, 94704
United States


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