Media Contact:
Claire Hermann, chermann@earthworksaction.org
Background
The US Department of the Interior has announced that it will restrict the permitting process for oil, gas, and mining projects to 28 days under a purported energy/minerals emergency. The announcement states that permitting will now take 28 days at most. This strips away Americans’ right to provide input on infrastructure that could poison air and water in their communities. The average time public lands agencies currently spend in environmental reviews for mines under the National Environmental Protection Act is currently three years. That period is consistent with allied nations with large mining industries, like Canada, Australia, and Chile.
Statement from Aaron Minztes, Earthworks’ Senior Policy Counsel:
”It is irresponsible to rush to complete a permit process in under 30 days. The Trump administration is not just playing fast and loose with time, but with the health and safety of nearby residents, communities and Tribes on the frontlines of mining and oil and gas extraction.
“Extractive projects, by their nature, cause significant environmental and cultural impacts, especially to frontline communities and Tribes. Mining is the leading source of toxic releases in the United States. It is infeasible for the agency to draft an adequate Environmental Impact Statement within 28 days. It is near impossible for residents and Tribes whose health is under risk to understand the possible harms, speak out and be heard in such a short timeframe.
“This policy will ultimately backfire. The DOI could face delays in court that they could have avoided had they listened to the public in the first place.”
