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DEFENDING ENVIRONMENTAL AGENDA
January 15
" I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly." -Martin Luther King, Jr. in his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail." King was born 73 years ago on this day.
[1] VICTORY: Club Forces Michigan to Comply with Clean Water Act
[2] CLEAN AIR: Club Sues EPA Over Clean Air Compliance in America's Smoggiest City
[3] WETLANDS: Bush Administration Guts Wetlands Protections
[4] TRADE: Send a Letter to the Editor on Bush's Recent Trade Speeches
[5] ACT NOW: National Call-In Day to Defend Clean Air Act--Thursday, Jan. 17
[1] VICTORY: Club Forces Michigan to Comply with Clean Water Act
The Sierra Club has announced victory today after the State of Michigan was forced to obey the Clean Water Act and issue pollution protection permits for animal factories.
After two years of defiance, the state Department of Environmental Quality finally acknowledged the fact that dumping thousands of pounds of animal manure into waterways is not only extremely disgusting but extremely illegal as well.
"This is a major victory for people in communities that have had their air and water poisoned as the result of animal factory pollution and state failure to uphold the law," said Anne Woiwode, Sierra Club's Michigan Director.
For the full story, check out the AP article at: https://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2002/01/15/financial0358EST0023.DTL
[2] CLEAN AIR: Club Sues EPA Over Clean Air Compliance in America's Smoggiest City
The Sierra Club joined in a lawsuit against the EPA yesterday in an attempt to overturn Houston's faulty clean air plan. The Club's complaint stems from the fact that the EPA approved a plan that depends on voluntary and unenforceable committments--in other words, the good will of polluting industries.
While the "everything will work itself out" attitude is not always condemnable, it seems inappropriate when children's health is at stake. According to the most recent data, Houston has surpassed Los Angeles as the smoggiest city in America.
For a front-page story from the Houston Chronicle, go to: https://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/front/1211780
[3] WETLANDS: Bush Administration Guts Wetlands Protections
Under the auspices of "reducing paperwork," the Army Corps of Engineers announced today that they are easing protections of wetlands and streams. Unfortunately, in this case "reducing paperwork" is synonymous with reducing the amount of healthy wetlands and streams in this country.
In an interesting twist, the Washington Post reported yesterday that while the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Interior Department's key biological agency) drafted comments denouncing the plan as scientifically and environmentally unjustified, the Army Corps of Engineers never received them. Why? Because Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton refused to pass them along. According to a former Fish & Wildlife director, "This is just nuts. For Interior to stop Fish and Wildlife from commenting on something of this magnitude and importance, that's really unbelievable."
For the Washington Post article on Secretary Norton's refusal to submit comments, go to: https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40646-2002Jan13.html
A good synopsis of the today's Corps of Engineers decision can be found on the New York Times website: https://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/15/politics/15WETL.html
[4] TRADE: Send a Letter to the Editor on Bush's Recent Trade Speeches
President Bush is now touring the country urging the Senate to pass so-called "free trade" legislation, which would allow him greater authority in crafting trade agreements. Unfortunately, current trade rules are too often used to undermine environmental protections and democratic rights in the name of "free trade." Instead of trade rules that undermine our hard-won health and environmental standards, we need the trade system to ensure environmental progress. Send in the following letter (or write your own) to your local paper's editor, urging the Senate to retain their ability to amend trade deals.
Fast Track is the Wrong Track for America's Environment
As an American who supports clean air and clean water, I am concerned about the focus of President Bush's tour touting "fast track" trading authority. While President Bush is highlighting some of the benefits of fast track, he has neglected to discuss how trade agreements increasingly make it easier for polluters to erode our environmental safety standards.
Under Fast Track, Congress gives up the power to fix trade deals--even if those deals threaten the environment or workers' safety. I am especially concerned that Fast Track could be used to expand NAFTA-style corporate lawsuits that other nations can use against us. Under these rules, global corporations can sue U.S. taxpayers for huge sums of money if they believe America's hard-won environmental, health, and safety laws interfere with their profits.
By keeping Congress in the debate, and retaining the democratic process, there is a better chance that America can make trade agreements that protect the environment while helping the economy at the same time.
Sincerely, Your Name
For more information on our Responsible Trade program, go to: https://www.sierraclub.org/trade/
[5] ACT NOW: National Call-In Day to Defend Clean Air Act--Thursday, Jan. 17
CLEAR AIR CALL IN DAY, JANUARY 17TH
The Clean Air Act is in Danger! Tell President Bush not to roll back Clean Air Protections!
The Bush Administration is attempting to gut a key part of the Clean Air Act, called "New Source Review" (NSR). This key Clean Air Act program, requires the oldest and dirtiest electric power plants and oil refineries to meet current air quality standards if they expand the plant and increase pollution. If President Bush has his way, many of these utilities that have modified their plants without installing up-to-date pollution control devices won't ever have to do so and we'll have to live with the thousands of extra tons of pollution in the air as a result.
So, mark those calendars. This Thursday, January 17th, you (and five coworkers/friends) call the White House TOLL FREE at 1-888-552-9406 and tell the President Bush not to roll back the Clean Air Act!!
Your calls can include any or all of the following comments:
* President Bush should not reward his campaign contributors by rolling back the Clean Air Act. He should aggressively enforce the law by vigorously prosecuting companies that upgrade their facilities without cleaning up their emissions.
* Citizens and government officials alike spoke out at public hearings across the country this past summer to emphasize the need to maintain and enforce this Clean Air Act program. The NSR provision of the Clean Air Act has forced polluting industrial facilities to comply with the law and clean the air that we all breathe.
* The impact on our country's health and environment from the weakening of these Clean Air Act standards would be severe. Based on known health impacts, this action is one of the most severe attacks on the Clean Air Act since its passage over twenty-five years ago.
For more information on New Source Review, check out our factsheet: https://www.sierraclub.org/cleanair/factsheets/factsheet7-01.asp
For a New York Times editorial, urging the Bush Administration to keep the Clean Air Act intact: https://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/09/opinion/09WED2.html
"Let our lives be in accordance with our convictions of right, each striving to carry out our principles." -Lucretia Mott, abolitionist and inaugurator of the woman suffrage movement, who was born on this day in 1793.
[1] ENERGY: Sierra Club Sues Bush Administration to Promote Alternative Fuels
[2] WILDLANDS: Forest Service Sends Mixed Messages Over Plan to Limit Logging in California's Sierra Nevadas
[3] CAMPAIGN FINANCE: Only 4 More Signers Needed to Bring Reform Bill to Floor
[4] SENATE ENERGY BILL: Tell Your Senators We Need a Clean, Safe and Secure Energy Plan
[1] ENERGY: Sierra Club Sues Bush Administration to Promote Alternative Fuels
Joining two other environmental groups, the Sierra Club filed a lawsuit yesterday charging the federal government with violating a 1992 law mandating that 75 percent of new government vehicles operate on alternative fuels. The suit filed in San Francisco federal court accuses 18 federal agencies of failing to follow the Gulf War-era Energy Policy Act, signed by then-President George H. W. Bush. The act was intended to reduce America's dependence on oil by encouraging use of other fuels, such as natural gas. But so far, none of the 18 agencies are living up to the letter of the law.
For an article on the lawsuit in the San Francisco Chronicle, go to: https://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2002/01/03/MN118311.DTL
[2] WILDLANDS: Forest Service Sends Mixed Messages Over Plan to Limit Logging in California's Sierra Nevadas
Just a week after the Forest Service Chief and a top official at the Agriculture Department approved a plan to reduce logging in California's Sierra Nevada, a regional forester has indicated that he intends to weaken the plan. Environmentalists, including the Sierra Club, were relieved last week when the Agriculture Department OK'd the Sierra Nevada Framework. The Clinton-era framework significantly refocuses the Forest Service's mission in the Sierras from resource extraction to old-growth forest preservation and could have reduced logging in the region by 50%.
Unfortunately, Regional Forester Jack Blackwell recently announced that he intends to look into allowing more tree cutting, continuing cattle grazing at current levels and making more allowances for off-road dirt bikes. The announcement immediately drew criticism from Sierra Club Board Member Chad Hanson who called it "pandering to the timber industry."
While it may be coincidental, this is not the first time the Bush Administration has purportedly "supported" protecting wild forests on a federal level only to have protections subsequently scuttled by local administrators. Could this possibly be a new and subtle tactic to undermine forest protections? Hm?
For an LA Times editorial in strong support of the Sierra Nevada Framework, see: https://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-000103382dec31.story
For a San Francisco Chronicle story on the proposed changes, go to: https://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/01/01/MN210840.DTL
[3] CAMPAIGN FINANCE: Only 4 More Signers Needed to Bring Reform Bill to Floor
On July 12, 2001, the House of Representatives used an obscure procedural rule to block debate on the Shays-Meehan Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Bill(H.R. 2356) -- delaying consideration of an important first step toward real campaign finance reform. Since then we have been seeking the 218 signatures necessary for a discharge petition attached to a new, more fair rule (H.R. 203) which allows all sides to be considered in a fair and open way -- WE NOW HAVE 214!!.
A list of members that had signed on to the petition as of December 31, 2001 is available at: https://clerkweb.house.gov/107/lrc/pd/petitions/Dis3.htm
If your member is signed on, please call and thank them -- ask them to vote for Shays-Meehan and oppose "poison pill" amendments.
If your Representative ISN'T on the list, please call and ask them to sign on to the Discharge Petition and support the Shays-Meehan bill for cleaner elections and a cleaner environment.
For more information contact Deanna White, Deputy Political Director at deanna.white@sierraclub.org
[4] SENATE ENERGY BILL: Tell Your Senators We Need a Clean, Safe and Secure Energy Plan
The Senate leadership has put together an energy plan that makes significant improvements to the dirty and destructive plan passed by the House of Representatives in August. While this Senate bill is a step in the right direction, much of the difficult work still lies ahead. We need to be sure the Senate crafts an energy policy that protects our wild places, reduces our dependence on oil, and sets us on a path to clean, renewable energy sources.
Click on the link below to go to the Sierra Club's Take Action site and tell your senators we need a clean, safe and secure energy plan. Our Take Action site was recently upgraded so we can contact you when your voice is needed on urgent environmental issues. Be a part of our improved activist network, just click on the link below and update your account if you haven't already.
To send a letter to your Senators from our new Take Action site, go to: https://www.sierraclub.org/action/?alid=nn&rf=-1
***Due to national staff meetings next week, the next Currents will be sent on Tuesday, January 15.
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