Safeguard Environmental Protections—#ActforCommunityHealth

NRDC is proud to partner with the Moving Forward Network on its Act for Community Health Campaign, which asks members of Congress to protect bedrock health and environmental laws like the Clean Air Act and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

As part of the White House’s plans to rebuild America’s infrastructure, President Trump has proposed streamlining environmental regulations based on the MYTH that health and environmental safeguards have slowed rebuilding America’s infrastructure, and that cutting environmental protections will save hundreds of billions of dollars.

The TRUTH is that a lack of adequate government funding is, by far, the biggest barrier to rebuilding America’s infrastructure, and that claims that cutting the environmental review process will save billions are not supported by any serious economic analysis.

The environmental review process Trump would like to “streamline” provides sometimes the only opportunity communities have to provide input on massive infrastructure projects in their neighborhoods. These laws also require disclosure of how many large-scale projects can impact a family’s health and environment, including the air they breathe.

To be clear, these laws do not prevent infrastructure modernization; they improve it by requiring smart planning and public input. These safeguards ensure that public dollars are spent on the public good. As my colleague Scott Slesinger wrote, “We Cannot “Streamline” Our Way to New Infrastructure.”

Just last month, a new report from the Environmental Protection Agency added to the already large body of literature finding that people of color are much more likely to live near polluters and breathe polluted air. Given this and other evidence, we must strengthen—as opposed to eliminate—environmental safeguards.

Join NRDC and MFN, and Act for Community Health.