Bedrock environmental law safe for now

Efforts in the U.S. Senate to undermine crucial environmental protections have been laid to rest for now.

Superior National Forest via Flickr | Public Domain
Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is one such place where NEPA has intervened to review the environmental impacts of a proposed mine.

An effort to undermine a crucial environmental law has been put on pause.

On Sept. 27, U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (W.V.) withdrew legislation from a continuing resolution to fund the government that would have weakened a key environmental law in order to expedite the permitting and construction of energy projects, including pipelines, mines and transmission lines. For a half-century, that law, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), has played a critical role in halting destructive projects that in many cases would have threatened our communities and environment with pollution and planet-warming emissions.

“Environment America is glad Senate leaders halted their rush to permit more pipelines, mines and other projects that could irreversibly harm our environment,” said Executive Director of Environment America’s Washington Legislative Office Lisa Frank. “Now, the Senate should strengthen core environmental protections and end fossil fuel subsidies.”

Protecting this law represents just one way Environment America and PIRG are working to protect our planet from planet-warming fossil fuels.

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