Leading Latino/a/x-serving Organizations Author Sign-On Letter Rejecting Manchin’s Secret “Dirty Deal” with the Fossil Fuel Industry
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, over 30 Latino/a/x-serving organizations representing thousands of concerned community members released a letter expressing their opposition to the immediate and urgent consideration of a behind-closed-doors side deal negotiated by Senator Joe Manchin and the fossil fuel industry to make it easier to hastily approve fossil fuel infrastructure projects in our communities.
While the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 has some significant investments toward reaching our climate goals, it also contains provisions that will continue to burden our communities with fossil fuel pollution for decades. The dirty deal brokered by Sen. Manchin and the American Petroleum Institute will add to this by continuing to endanger thousands of Latino/a/x lives disproportionately affected by climate, air, and water pollution.
GreenLatinos Founding President and CEO, Mark Magaña, releases the following statement shortly after the letter’s release:
“Today’s sign-on letter represents strong opposition to continued dependence on dirty fossil fuels through further expansion of polluting fossil fuel infrastructure development in our communities.
Research consistently shows the harm dirty fossil fuel projects produce in our communities. Instead, we must support new innovative technologies that will help us move away from polluting energy sources and into clean, renewable, and sustainable energy sources that will help us achieve our environmental liberation.
By issuing this letter, we call on Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to commit to decoupling this side-deal with any must-pass legislation. We also call on Congress to protect NEPA at all costs and, most importantly, pass the Environmental Justice for All Act.
These measures are critical for protecting the health of our children while also providing impacted community members with the tools to defend themselves against the polluters who threaten to come in and devastate their communities.”
###
