Republicans were thumbs-down at hearing for “Environmental Justice for All” bill

Republicans were thumbs-down at hearing for “Environmental Justice for All” bill: HR 5986 would do a better job of protecting people affected most by pollution and environmental health and safety hazards. These are typically lower-income communities of color.

It would mandate that federal agencies must take into account community health impacts when deciding on permits, codify federal environmental justice initiative, impose new fees on fossil fuel companies to fund local transitions to a greener economy, and reverse a two-decade-old Supreme Court that made it more difficult for private citizens to sue when they are hurt by actions disproportionately affecting poor communities of color.

A number of Republicans argued that the bill would hurt the communities it is designed to help.

For instance, Rep. Pete Stauber (R-Minn.) said the bill is biased against oil and gas and would hurt people dependent on the industry for their jobs by making fossil fuels more expensive.

Rep. Donald McEachin (D-Va.), who put the legislation together with Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) noted that instead of the usual top-down approach to writing legislation, they worked with environmental justice communities. “It was written by the people and for the people,” he said.

Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) was irked. “Our addiction to fossil fuels is literally killing us,” he said. “Communities of color are bearing the worst impacts of that. Arguing the only answer is to make fossil fuels cheaper and more abundant is like the heroin addict who thinks finding cheaper heroin is the only way to keep buying groceries and pay the rent.”

 

By:  Meteor Blades
Source: Red, Green, and Blue

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