Description
Latino communities face some of the worst air pollution in the country. Join us this Air Quality Awareness Week to explore how methane pollution is worsening air quality in Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas, and what federal decisions mean for our future. Hear from -Climate Justice & Clean Air Director, Irene Burga -Patricia Garcia-Nelson, Colorado -Carlos Matutes, New Mexico Visit greenlatinos.org for more information.
Topic
Air Quality Awareness Week: The Methane Threat to Our Air
El nominado Director de la Bureau of Land Management Director, Steve Pearce oído ante el Comité del Senado
Washington, DC – El martes 25 de febrero, el Comité de Energía y Recursos Naturales del Senado celebró una audiencia para considerar la nominación del excongresista Steve Pearce para dirigir la Oficina de Administración de Tierras (BLM, por sus siglas en inglés). Esta agencia administra 245 millones de acres de tierras públicas nacionales, incluidos 14.9 millones de acres en California, 13.5 millones de acres en Nuevo México, 12.1 millones de acres en Arizona, 8.35 millones de acres en Colorado y 22.8 millones de acres en Utah. Estas tierras abarcan numerosos monumentos nacionales, áreas de importancia cultural, ecológica e histórica y otras tierras recreativas federales. Steve Pearce asistió aparentemente sin estar preparado para responder a preguntas críticas relacionadas con las regulaciones aplicadas por la BLM y sin estar dispuesto a rechazar sus esfuerzos impopulares para vender tierras públicas, los cuales son rechazados por una abrumadora mayoría bipartidista.
En respuesta, GreenLatinos instó a los senadores a oponerse a su nominación y emite las siguientes declaraciones:
“Nuevo México, lamentablemente, está muy familiarizado con lo enormemente descalificado que está el Sr. Pearce para administrar las tierras públicas bajo la Oficina de Administración de Tierras (BLM). Él ha ganado personalmente millones de dólares mediante cuestionables ventas de arrendamientos de petróleo y gas, ha mostrado un total desprecio por la ley al talar árboles ilegalmente en el Bosque Nacional Lincoln y aboga abiertamente por vender tierras públicas a intereses corporativos extractivos. El Sr. Pearce representa un peligro inminente para nuestro medio ambiente, la preservación de las tierras públicas y la misión multifacética de la BLM”, dijo Carlos Matutes, director estatal de Nuevo México para GreenLatinos, con sede en Albuquerque, NM.
“Sobre el Monumento Nacional Chuckwalla, el Sr. Pearce no dio en el blanco. Cuando se le pidió reunirse con la Comisión Intertribal de Chuckwalla, Pearce recordó haberse convertido en una voz para las Tribus en Washington, DC. Esta es una visión inapropiada e incorrecta de la relación de gobierno a gobierno de los Estados Unidos con las naciones tribales soberanas. El Sr. Pearce legalmente no es, ni nadie querría que fuera, una voz para otra nación soberana. GreenLatinos apoya inequívocamente las relaciones de la Comisión Intertribal con Chuckwalla. Agradecemos al Senador Padilla por su compromiso con los valores de alianza con los miembros de la Comisión y aplaudimos al Senador Gallego preguntando para una promesa de honrar el Monumento Nacional de Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni-Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon,” dijo Pedro Hernández, Director del Programa Estatal de California para GreenLatinos con sede en Fresno, CA.
“Pearce el Contaminador está superando las expectativas que vienen con ese nombre. Él afirmó no estar familiarizado con la ampliamente respaldada Regla de Prevención del Desperdicio de Metano administrada por la agencia que ha sido nominado para dirigir, porque no está dispuesto a admitir que la polución es su prioridad. El Director de la BLM debería ofrecer una certeza inequívoca de que esta regla será cumplida”, dijo Meisei Gonzalez, Defensor de Justicia Climática y Aire Limpio para GreenLatinos con sede en Salt Lake City, UT.
“Cuando fue presionado sobre sus declaraciones pasadas en apoyo a la venta de tierras públicas, Steve Pearce dijo: ‘No estoy tan seguro de haber cambiado’. Está claro que seguiría el liderazgo del principal promotor de la privatización de tierras públicas, el Senador Mike Lee. El Sr. Pearce debió haber dicho, fuerte y claramente, que no apoya la venta o transferencia de tierras públicas. No lo hizo. Como señaló el Senador John Hickenlooper, ‘Si alguien se revela a sí mismo, créanle’. Si la mayoría que apoya las tierras públicas esperaba que el Sr. Pearce atenuaría sus preocupaciones sobre su nominación, la audiencia de hoy fue un fracaso”, dijo Ean Thomas Tafoya, Vicepresidente de Programas Estatales para GreenLatinos con sede en Denver, CO.
“Steve Pearce es una amenaza para las tradiciones de las comunidades hispanas y latinas de cocinar carne asada con seres queridos, la caza de temporada y contar historias alrededor de la fogata en tierras públicas. El Senador Ruben Gallego articuló el peligro de vender tierras públicas: que lugares cercanos y de calidad para que las personas trabajadoras puedan pescar, cazar y acampar se conviertan en fincas privadas como segundas y terceras residencias para los más pudientes. Esta amenaza se ve reforzada por las medidas del Departamento del Interior para impedir que los inmigrantes y el 22% de los estadounidenses que hablan un idioma distinto del inglés en casa accedan a las tierras recreativas nacionales. Merecemos un Director de la BLM que actúe con la responsabilidad de garantizar el acceso a las tierras públicas para nuestros hijos, bisnietos y las generaciones venideras; Steve Pearce no es esa persona”, dijo Olivia Juarez, Director del Programa de Tierras Públicas para GreenLatinos con sede en Salt Lake City, UT.
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GreenLatinos (NOTA: GreenLatinos es UNA PALABRA) convoca a una comunidad activa de líderes ambientales, de conservación y de justicia climática, arraigada en el poder y la sabiduría de nuestra cultura, unida para impulsar nuestras prioridades y motivada a asegurar nuestra liberación política, económica, cultural y ambiental.
Bureau of Land Management Director Nominee Steve Pearce Heard in Senate Committee
Washington, DC – On Tuesday, February 25, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing to consider the nomination of former Congressman Steve Pearce to serve as the Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). This agency administers 245 million acres of national public lands, including 14.9 million acres in California, 13.5 million acres in New Mexico, 12.1 million acres in Arizona, 8.35 million acres in Colorado, and 22.8 million acres in Utah. These lands encompass numerous national monuments, areas of cultural, ecological, and historical significance, and other federal recreational lands. Pearce attended the hearing apparently unprepared to respond to critical questions pertaining to regulations enforced by the BLM and unwilling to disavow his long supported efforts to sell off public lands, which are opposed by an overwhelming bipartisan majority.
In response, GreenLatinos urged Senators to oppose his nomination and issues the following statements:
“New Mexico is unfortunately very familiar with how massively unqualified Mr. Pearce is to steward public lands under the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). He has personally made millions of dollars from questionable oil and gas lease sales, has shown utter disregard for the law by illegally cutting trees in the Lincoln National Forest, and openly advocates to sell public lands to extractive corporate interests. Mr. Pearce is an imminent danger to our environment, preservation of public lands, and the multifaceted mission of the BLM,” said Carlos Matutes, Albuquerque, NM-based New Mexico State Director for GreenLatinos.
“On Chuckwalla National Monument, Pearce missed the bullseye. When asked to meet with the Chuckwalla Inter-Tribal Commission, Pearce recalled becoming a voice for Tribes in DC. This is an inappropriate and incorrect view of the United States’ government-to-government relationship with sovereign tribal nations. Mr. Pearce legally is not, nor would anyone want him to be, a voice for another sovereign nation. GreenLatinos unequivocally supports the Inter-Tribal Commission’s relationships with Chuckwalla. We thank Senator Padilla for his commitment to kinship values with the Commission members and applaud Senator Gallego for asking assurance for honoring Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni-Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument, ” said Pedro Hernández, Fresno, CA-based California State Program Director for GreenLatinos.
“Polluter Pearce is exceeding the expectations that come with this name. Mr. Pearce claimed unfamiliarity with the broadly supported Methane Waste Prevention Rule administered by the agency he is nominated to lead because he is unwilling to admit that pollution is his prerogative. The BLM Director should deliver unequivocal certainty that this rule will be abided by,” said Meisei Gonzalez, Salt Lake City, UT-based Climate Justice and Clean Air Advocate for GreenLatinos.
“When pressed on his past statements supporting the sale of public lands, Steve Pearce said, ‘I’m not so sure that I’ve changed.’ It is clear that he would follow the lead of the foremost public land sell-off proponent, Senator Mike Lee. Mr. Pearce should have said, loudly and clearly, that he does not support the sale or transfer of public lands. He did not. As Senator John Hickenlooper remarked, ‘If someone reveals themself, believe them.’ If the pro-public land majority was expecting Mr. Pearce to soften their concerns about his nominations, today’s hearing was a failure,” said Ean Thomas Tafoya, Denver, CO-based Vice President of State Programs for GreenLatinos.
“Steve Pearce is a threat to Hispanic and Latino community traditions of cooking carne asada with loved ones, seasonal hunting, and telling stories around the campfire on public lands. Senator Ruben Gallego articulated the danger of selling off public lands: nearby, quality places for working-class people to go fishing, hunting, and camping are being fenced off as private second- and third-home estates for the wealthiest. This threat is aided by the Department of the Interior’s moves to prevent immigrants and the 22% of Americans who speak a language other than English at home from accessing federal recreational lands. We deserve a BLM Director who will act with the responsibility to deliver public land access to our children, great-grandchildren, and generations to come; Steve Pearce is not that person,” said Olivia Juarez, Salt Lake City, UT-based Public Land Program Director for GreenLatinos.
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GreenLatinos (NOTE: GreenLatinos is ONE WORD) convenes an active comunidad of environmental, conservation, and climate justice leaders rooted in the power and wisdom of our culture, united to uplift our priorities, and driven to secure our political, economic, cultural, and environmental liberation.
Groups hope rule will incentivize waste diversion and composting in Colorado
Denver, CO — The Colorado Air Quality Control Commission today approved a rule to help rein in harmful air pollution and methane, a potent greenhouse gas, from landfills in Colorado. The rule, which is the product of months of discussions between conservation groups, community groups and industry, will require more leak detection monitoring at landfills and, for landfills emitting large amounts of pollution, will require them to install systems to collect and destroy that pollution. While the final rule is not as strong as originally proposed, groups hope that it will help to incentivize waste diversion and composting efforts in the state of Colorado.
“This is a monumental moment for Colorado communities to be further protected from hazardous emissions coming from our landfills and flowing into our communities,” said Brian Loma, hazardous materials and waste diversion advocate with GreenLatinos. “Destroying these emissions will lead to improved health conditions and lowered health care costs for many Colorado communities.”
The final rule goes beyond the federal minimum standards to reduce emissions from landfills in Colorado. It phases out open flares and instead requires enclosed destruction systems in most circumstances – significantly benefiting the health of communities across the state, as open flares are not as reliable or effective at destroying pollution. The rule also includes provisions for biocover and biofilters to oxidize pollution before it can escape through the surface of the landfill. The commission should consider strengthening these provisions moving forward, as robust biocover and biofilter uptake will help to reduce emissions while creating a market for compost. The final rule, however, fails to address harmful PFAS “forever chemicals” in landfill air emissions, and groups have encouraged the state to prioritize research and mitigation to address this issue.
“Quickly and significantly reducing methane from the waste sector – the world’s third largest emitter of anthropogenic methane – is critical for tackling climate change and improving public health,” said Mary Sasso, attorney at Clean Air Task Force. “The final rule approved by the commission leverages cost-effective, practical solutions that will reduce methane emissions, like robust and frequent monitoring. While there is still room for improvement, this final rule marks important progress in protecting communities near landfills and advancing Colorado’s climate goals.”
In April, the Colorado Air Pollution Control Division issued its draft rule on landfill pollution, kicking off the rulemaking process. The initial proposed rule would have been the strongest in the nation, but over time and after arguments from both sides, the division weakened the draft rule. In order to preserve the most important elements of the rule, the parties spent hours meeting to find agreement on the best path forward. The rule approved by the commission today is a product of those discussions.
“The rule approved by the commission is an important step forward on landfill emissions in Colorado,” said Alexandra Schluntz, senior attorney with Earthjustice’s Rocky Mountain Office. “While this does not do everything we hoped to see, it will make a real difference for the health of surrounding communities. It is important that Colorado uses this rule as a launching point to further incentivize waste diversion and composting in the state, which is the best way to reduce air and climate pollution from landfills—by preventing it from the start.”
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About GreenLatinos
GreenLatinos (NOTE: GreenLatinos is ONE WORD) is an active comunidad of Latino/a/e leaders, emboldened by the power and wisdom of our culture, united to demand equity and dismantle racism, resourced to win our environmental, conservation, and climate justice battles, and driven to secure our political, economic, cultural, and environmental liberation.
About Earthjustice
Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit environmental law organization. We wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people's health, to preserve magnificent places and wildlife, to advance clean energy, and to combat climate change. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.
