Stop the War on Environmental Reviews: Protecting NEPA Protects our Planet

Congress passed the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) in 1970 to give communities a voice in large governmental projects. This act requires federal agencies to consider the potential environmental, economic, and climate impacts of their projects, and gives citizens an opportunity to voice concerns about consequences for their community. However, NEPA has become the preferred scapegoat of developers, fossil fuel companies, timber interests, and the Koch brothers and their Congressional allies. They erroneously blame NEPA for delays in infrastructure projects and misrepresent its scope—and over time, they have managed to weaken this crucial law. It’s time for member of Congress to see through these lies and stop considering NEPA as expendable. As lawmakers consider infrastructure legislation, additional changes to weaken NEPA should not be on the table. It is time for Congress to defend this important law and reconsider some of the irresponsible changes made over the last decade.