Atchafalaya Basinkeeper along with  330 conservation, health, and justice organizations and businesses signed on to the letter opposing the proposal to massively roll back critical protections provided by the National Environmental Policy Act. This letter urges the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to withdraw its attack on NEPA and fulfill its mission to ensure that federal agencies protect the environment, support public health and prevent wasteful spending.

The National Environmental Policy Act ensures that major federal projects incorporate public input and adequately consider environmental impacts. Changes proposed in the NPRM would unravel the protections of NEPA.

Based on previews of what will be in the proposed rule, it would:

• Limit review to those effects that have a tight causal connection to the action, again limiting consideration of often important other effects that degrade natural resources and habitat.
• Place arbitrary time and length limits on the scope of review.
• Further increase the number of projects that will be categorically excluded, meaning that will have no review or no opportunity for public input.
• Eliminate the assessment of “cumulative impacts,” which includes important considerations like climate change and other incremental but harmful changes over time.

Attached you will find the letter sent to CEQ and the list of signers.

Letter from 331 Organizations and Businesses against Proposed NEPA Rollbacks

List of 331 Organizations and Businesses against Proposed NEPA Rollbacks