Supreme Court Decision Endangers Environmental Justice Communities, Workers and Public Health

In today’s rulings the Supreme Court sided with corporate oligarchs against every single American, especially residents of environmental justice communities. The conservative majority of the court ruled 6-3 to end what is known as the Chevron Deference 

We wish we could say we are surprised, but in all honesty, a ruling of this kind this has been expected ever since the conservative majority took over the Court. 

The Chevron Deference refers to a case that has been precedent since 1984 which empowers regulatory agencies like the EPA to utilize their expertise to interpret and implement the enforcement of broad laws. For example with a law like the Clean Air Act, Chevron gave the EPA the authority to utilize science and expert input to set limits on levels of pollutants in the air we breathe. The justices decision takes away this authority and gives justices in the Supreme Court and lower courts the sole power to interpret whether regulations can stand.  Polluters that Clean Air fights against are celebrating this decision. Based on the courts current partisan makeup we know which way these decisions will fall. 

What we need now is for our representatives in Washington to step up to begin to push for a change to the law to reinstate the Chevron Deference Doctrine.

We need our representatives in Albany to stop holding back statewide action. The session closed in Albany with only one major climate and environmental bill passed, the Climate Superfund Act – this is far short of the kind of response that we need to the climate emergency and ongoing environmental injustices in our communities. 

We also need each and every person to learn more about what is proposed in Project 2025 under a Trump administration, and to understand that the ultimate goal of that document is the dissolution of the ability of regulators to protect us. 

Ultimately, what we need is for every single person reading this statement to get plugged in to advocacy and organizing, whether that’s with us (click here to donate to join or renew your membership) or with other organizations that are close to your heart. 

None of us have the privilege to be passive amid the growing crises of rising fascism, worsening climate change, and increasing social and economic inequities.