Livestream This Week: Environmental Justice Forum in Appalachia – Speakers Will Highlight Regional Benefits of Environmental Justice for All Act
Washington, D.C. – The Committee is holding a livestreamed forum on environmental justice in Appalachia on Dec. 9.
Environmental Justice Forum
Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) will lead a livestreamed forum titled Environmental Justice Now Tour: Appalachia as part of his ongoing initiative with Rep. A. Donald McEachin (D-Va.) to highlight the community impacts of environmental damage and build support for their Environmental Justice for All Act. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris introduced the Senate version of the bill on July 30.
In addition to Grijalva, Reps. Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.), chair of the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, and Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.) are expected to speak at the forum.
Wednesday’s speakers include:
- Julie Bledsoe, Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment (learn more)
- Alex Cole, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition (learn more)
- Gabby Gillespie, Sierra Club organizer
The event will focus on the environmental and public health impacts of needlessly destructive industry practices across Appalachia, where life expectancy continues to lag much of the rest of the country and where the human costs of mountaintop removal mining and other sources of industrial pollution are known to be both chronic and severe.
As one of its first environmental policy decisions, the Trump administration ordered the cancellation of a National Academy of Sciences review of scientific literature on mountaintop removal mining’s health impacts. The Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General later found the administration’s claim that the stoppage was part of a larger review of contracts and work agreements to be completely false.
Among many other measures, the Environmental Justice for All Act would increase public participation in the National Environmental Policy Act process for deciding how and where to site major projects with likely public health impacts. Grijalva has already said that advancing the legislation through Congress will be a major priority as chair in the 117th Congress.
When: 12:00 p.m. Eastern time
Watch Live: https://bit.ly/3lRQflp (Facebook) or https://youtu.be/slJu1ALuoOg (YouTube)
Press Contact
Media Contact: Adam Sarvana
(202) 225-6065 or (202) 578-6626 mobile
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