Ocean Conservancy’s CEO Janis Searles Jones (@InVeritas_Jones) released the following statement on the Trump administration’s finalization of its rollback of the rules that enact the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). NEPA requires federal agencies to engage in a review process to identify any significant environmental, economic, social, or health impacts a project may have before decisions are made and construction begins.

“This rollback by the Trump administration is an attack on the public’s right to have a meaningful voice in government decision-making, and the government’s obligation to be transparent about the consequences of and potential alternatives to its proposed actions. At a time when the impacts of climate change are adding a new layer of threat to our oceans, we should be bolstering, not dismantling, bedrock rules designed to protect the environment, public health and vulnerable communities.

“NEPA ensures that government agencies consider the impacts of their actions before projects are finalized, and provides what is many times the only opportunity for public input on federal projects, such as coral reef conservation and offshore oil development. This ensures full consideration of the impacts of federal decisions on the environment, representing a critical safeguard for ocean health. Reviews required under NEPA also provide an important check on the disproportionate impacts of many federal actions on communities of color, low income communities, Tribes and others that have historically borne the brunt of many projects that impact water quality, air quality, sacred land and future harm from climate change. Now more than ever, we need the NEPA process to keep us all healthy and give us all a say in our environment and our future.

“Without justification, the Trump administration is rolling back rules that have helped guide government action for nearly 50 years.”