President Biden's administration has proposed updates to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) that would repair dangerous Trump-era weakening of NEPA regulations. The new rules have the opportunity to protect our climate and communities, while ensuring community input and involvement.

But, we have to act fast - comments on the draft rule are due September 29, and fossil fuels and climate deniers are already trying to gut the draft rules before they're finalized.

As the nation continues to recover from devastating climate impacts caused by fossil fuel pollution - from the fires in Hawaii to the floods in New York and New England, and everywhere in between - it's essential that we update NEPA and ensure it protects all of us from pollution and climate change.

The Biden Administration's Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) draft NEPA regulations will repair dangerous Trump-Era limitations on public comments, and center community outreach in the NEPA process. They would also, for the first time ever, expressly require projects to be vetted based on their impacts on climate change and environmental justice.

The draft NEPA rules make several important changes

1. Require federal agencies like the EPA, US Army Corps, and FERC to reach out to affected communities early, and ensure those agencies are accountable for community engagement;
2. Require agencies to account for environmental justice in decision-making process, and avoid or minimize disproportionate impacts on communities hit first and worst by pollution and climate change; and
3. Eliminate the Trump-era limitations on public comments that made challenging projects in court nearly impossible for most community and conservation groups.

NEPA is a bedrock environmental law that requires the federal government to engage with communities and evaluate the impact on our climate and environment before issuing permits for new pipelines, power lines, and other projects. It requires federal agencies to analyze and disclose a project's impact on the environment, economy, community, and public health — including the climate.

Enter your information on the right to start your comment to President Biden's Council on Environmental Quality, and tell them we need a strong and updated NEPA for our climate and communities! We've drafted a comment for you, but feel free to add your own words to make your comment even more powerful.