President Trump’s Infrastructure Proposal Shuts the Public Out, Fails to Consider Environmental Impacts

WASHINGTON (June 9, 2017) – President Trump today called for short-cutting the approval process for national infrastructure investment projects in ways that threaten to weaken environmental review and public transparency requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Supported by a bipartisan majority and signed by President Nixon, NEPA protects our health, homes, and environment by engaging citizens in projects that affect their community. 

The following is a statement by Rhea Suh, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council:

“Any major infrastructure project must include robust public participation -- from start to finish. Trump’s approach and mind-set fails that test. As we move to repair America's deteriorating infrastructure, we must ensure that the voices of local communities are heard and taken into account -- not just those of developers who often care little about their projects' impact on our health, our safety and the environment.  As the impacts of climate change and extreme weather increasingly threaten our roads, bridge and dams, it’s more important than ever to listen to the people and communities that will be affected to ensure public dollars are spent on the public good.”

For a blog by Deron Lovaas, visit: https://www.nrdc.org/experts/deron-lovaas/streamline-infrastructure-reviews-been-there-done

For a fact sheet outlining the NEPA success stories, visit: https://www.nrdc.org/resources/never-eliminate-public-advice-nepa-success-stories

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The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 2 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City; Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles; San Francisco; Chicago; Bozeman, Montana; and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.