Alexanna Hengy is a staffer with the Rashid for Congress campaign, an environmental activist and co-founder of the Rappahannock Climate Mobilization, and suicide prevention activist. You can find out more about Qasim’s campaign at www.rashidforva.com and contribute at secure.actblue.com/…
While COVID-19 is disproportionately threatening those with respiratory illnesses, the Trump administration waives restrictions on air pollution. The EPA, led by the Trump appointed former coal Lobbyist, Andrew Wheeler, released a memo on Thursday, March 26 2020 excusing significant threats to our air, water, and the climate. This came at the bequest of big oil and coal lobbyists and major corporations, such as the American Petroleum Institute (API), who cite COVID-19 as an excuse, asking be let off the hook from monitoring pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, repairing leaky equipment, and ensuring nearby water is not polluted. Eric Shaeffer, former Director of civil enforcement at the EPA, released a letter which many environmental groups signed condemning API’s request as dangerous to communities.
The EPA memo states that “potential worker shortages due to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the travel and social distancing restrictions” may “affect the ability of an operation to meet enforceable limitations on air emissions and water discharges, requirements for the management of hazardous waste, or requirements to ensure and provide safe drinking water.” All that is asked of corporations is that they “identify how COVID-19 was the cause of the noncompliance” and asks them to “return to compliance as soon as possible”. They are excused from making-up missed reporting which means that we will never know the extent of pollution that occured during this time. Speaking of time, there is no time limit set for when this permissiveness will end; this free-reign is indefinite. The farthest the EPA is willing to go to protect us is to “strongly encourage” consultation with the EPA if there are “acute risks and imminent threats”. In an attempt to be understanding and sensitive to the struggles of corporations they are cutting them slack “even if the amount of hazardous waste stored on site exceeds a regulatory volume.” They will “consider the circumstances” when determining “whether any enforcement response is appropriate” if laboratories stop testing water for contaminants and safe drinking water stops being delivered.
Millions of Americans deemed essential workers continue to put themselves in harm's way to perform jobs that are crucial to the health and well-being of our nation, while the Trump administration protects fossil fuel companies and big corporations from having to do their job. This is also occurring at the same time that Trump is urging non-essential workers to return to work to “save the economy”. This truly shows the hypocrisy, and the priorities of this administration: fossil fuel companies and big corporations must be protected but you and the air, water, and safe climate you depend on should not.
My representative, Rob Wittman, likes to paint himself as an environmentalist so I hope he will condemn this decision, though his record, including his 3% rating in 2019 from the League of Conservation Voters, tells me he will not. Qasim Rashid condemns this decision by the EPA, as his highest priority is the health of the American people and our generations to come. Visit https://rashidforva.com/ to learn more about Qasim Rashid and how he will fight for the health of you and our planet, and visit https://secure.actblue.com/donate/rashidforcongress if it’s within your bandwidth to donate.
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