Complete list of press releases

(Hartford, CT -- Nov 23, 2021) Over the past week, the governors of Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island have indicated they will no longer pursue implementation of the Transportation and Climate Initiative Program (TCI-P), a regional program to limit climate pollution from the transportation sector. By putting a limit on total carbon pollution emitted by transportation fuels and requiring fossil fuel suppliers to pay a price for pollution associated with the fuels they sell, the program would have ensured transportation pollution declines over the course of the decade while raising proceeds. Those proceeds would have funded clean transportation strategies, expanded air quality monitoring, and spurred investments to reduce pollution and improve mobility options in overburdened and underserved communities.

Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. and a significant source of harmful air pollution. And it is the largest source of emissions in each of these three states, accounting for 37% of Connecticut’s economy-wide emissions, 36% of Rhode Island’s emissions and 42% of Massachusetts emissions.

“These states committed to achieving strong climate goals, yet they seemingly just took a key strategy for addressing their largest source of climate pollution off the table,” said Pam Kiely, Associate Vice President for U.S. Climate at EDF. “Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island cannot make good on their climate promises without a plan that puts an enforceable limit on pollution from cars, trucks and buses this decade. 

“Delaying action only further contributes to the accelerating climate crisis, while deepening inequities experienced by communities overburdened by air pollution and underserved by the transportation system. Major benefits that can immediately improve the quality of life for communities across the region -- like cleaner, more accessible transportation and healthier air -- are on the line.

“State leaders need to act quickly to put policies in place that slash climate pollution, improve air quality and invest in a better, more equitable transportation system -- whether that’s reaffirming their commitment to the TCI-P itself or swiftly identifying and implementing new policies that can get the job done.”

(Washington, D.C.) During an open meeting of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission today, commissioners affirmed their support for an extension of the temporary certificate to allow the Spire STL pipeline to continue operating during the winter months. FERC Chairman Richard Glick stated it is his intent to act on Spire’s pending temporary certificate application before the current temporary certificate expires on December 13.

The declaration by FERC should lay to rest fears stoked in a misleading public relations campaign by company affiliate Spire Missouri falsely suggesting that utility customers could be left without gas heat this winter due to a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

“EDF has consistently urged FERC to ensure reliable service to St. Louis customers this winter. The unanimous statements from the participating FERC Commissioners should put to rest the fear and uncertainty Spire has created in St. Louis. Chairman Glick also expressed concern regarding Spire’s fear campaign and stated that ‘it is important to turn down the rhetoric and examine the facts.’”

• Natalie Karas, senior director and lead counsel, Environmental Defense Fund

Chairman Glick and Commissioners James Danly, Allison Clements, and Mark Christie all provided opening remarks during the November 18, 2021 meeting. The fifth commissioner, Willie Phillips, was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate on November 16, 2021 and did not provide opening remarks.

Background

EDF filed suit in January 2020 over concerns that the Spire STL pipeline was granted a certificate by FERC without the legally required justification that the costly pipeline was needed and beneficial to the public – a legal safeguard meant to protect customers from unnecessary costs, and landowners from inappropriate condemnation of their property.

In June, a U.S. Court of Appeals agreed, finding serious deficiencies in FERC’s approval. In October, the United States Supreme Court declined Spire’s request to stay or halt the Circuit Court ruling. FERC granted Spire STL a temporary operating certificate to continue operating the pipeline through December 13th.

EDF has repeatedly supported the extension, most recently in a letter to FERC on November 10. Going forward, we believe FERC must do a better job of assessing the benefits and burdens of the infrastructure it approves to ensure customers, landowners, and communities near the pipeline are protected.

(WASHINGTON, DC—Nov. 17, 2021)—Environmental Defense Fund is proud to welcome Ann M. Bartuska as a Senior Contributing Scientist to join a team dedicated to identifying pathways for atmospheric carbon removal and storage in forest and agricultural systems.

“Ann brings years of experience, knowledge, and insight to bear on solving difficult forestry and agriculture problems,” said Dr. Steven Hamburg, EDF’s Chief Scientist. “We are thrilled to draw on her expertise as we seek to unlock the potential of natural climate solutions in the United States.”

Dr. Bartuska brings extensive experience in forestry, agriculture and ecosystem services to EDF, where she will focus her part-time position on climate change mitigation through natural climate solutions with a specific focus on forest management and soil health practices.

Dr. Bartuska  has had a lengthy career of government service. She served as the Deputy Under Secretary for Research Education and Economics at the United States Department of Agriculture and as the agency’s Chief Scientist. Prior to her work at the USDA, she worked at the United States Forest Service, where, in 1999 she was named Director of Forest Management, the first woman and the first ecologist to hold the position. In addition, she also chaired the subcommittee on Global Change Research at the White House Office of Science and Technology in 2016.

She has also held positions in nonprofit sector and academia, including at North Carolina State University, where she managed research, development and assessment programs associated with acid rain and air pollution. She served as the executive director of the Nature Conservancy’s Invasive Species Initiative and as the Vice President of the Land, Water, and Nature Program at Resources for the Future (RFF), which she joined in 2017. Dr. Bartuska will remain a senior advisor at RFF, where she continues to focus her efforts land use, forestry and agriculture.

“Many of us have had the pleasure of collaborating with Ann over the years and are excited that she will be joining us here at EDF. It is a critical time for developing effective solutions for the forestry and agricultural sectors to help address climate change, and I’m delighted she will help inform our efforts in finding them,” Dr. Hamburg said.  

(RALEIGH, NC – Nov. 16, 2021) North Carolina Legislative leaders have released a state budget that includes significant investments in programs to increase flood resilience across the state.  

“With this budget, North Carolina will make an important down payment toward a more flood resilient future. Investments in natural infrastructure will deliver increased flood protection for more communities, more farmers and more businesses across the entire state — creating jobs while also improving the quality of our environment.  

“No region of our state is immune to the threat of flooding. Investments in natural solutions, such as floodplain and wetland restoration, help reduce the risk of flooding, while also increasing the health and vitality of our environment and delivering quality of life improvements for communities from the coast to the mountains.

“By investing in new state capacities for planning and providing technical assistance for local governments to develop resilience projects, legislative leaders, including Rep. Bell and Sen. Perry, have taken strong steps, helping to put North Carolina on a path to a safer, more prosperous future for generations to come.” 

• Will McDow, Director, Climate Resilient Coasts and Watersheds, Environmental Defense Fund  

Background: The proposed budget bill includes $20 million for a Flood Resilience Blueprint to guide planning and implementation of a coordinated, science-based statewide flood risk reduction strategy. Additionally, $18 million will fund natural infrastructure projects, through the Division of Mitigation Services and the state’s Land and Water Fund, to reduce flood risk and deliver other benefits. Local communities will also receive significant funding to increase their capacity to develop flood resilience projects. These investments are in line with policy recommendations EDF released earlier this year.     

(AUSTIN, TEXAS – Nov. 16, 2021) Across Texas, groundwater is being pumped out of aquifers so quickly that more wells are in danger of going dry, and more springs and surface water may begin to dry up, according to two reports released today.

The reports — issued by researchers at The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University and at Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) — paint an unstable, unsustainable picture for the millions of Texans, the cities and communities, and the rivers, streams and springs that depend on groundwater:

• Statewide, Texas is losing groundwater at nearly twice the maximum sustained rate — and according to plans already pending with local management agencies, that rate is likely to increase in coming years unless officials change course.
• Groundwater is being pumped out of the Ogallala Aquifer — the primary source of water for Texans in the High Plains and Panhandle regions — 6.5 times faster than its sustainable rate.
• In many cases, groundwater conservation districts have adopted plans and goals that will accelerate these depletion trends — in some districts, officials have set long-term management goals that will lead to unsustainable pumping.

“This unsustainable groundwater pumping will ultimately lead to dry wells, dry springs, less surface water, and other problems that directly impact Texans, Texas’ economy, and the environment,” said Dr. Robert Mace, executive director and chief water policy officer at The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment and lead author of the report “Five Gallons in a Ten Gallon Hat: Groundwater Sustainability in Texas.”

In many places, he added, Texans are already seeing the depletion and feeling the impact.

“In the Hill Country, water-levels are declining, wells are running dry, and springs are vanishing. That’s a sign of things to come across the state. If we want our aquifers to be available to future generations, we have to start thinking about groundwater differently,” said Mace, whose research and reporting was sponsored in part by the Cynthia & George Mitchell Foundation. “There’s still time to manage groundwater so that future Texans can count on it.”

The EDF report, “Advancing Groundwater Sustainability in Texas: A Guide to Existing Authorities and Management Tools for Groundwater Conservation Districts and Communities,” focuses on groundwater conservation districts — local agencies charged with managing and protecting groundwater supplies, especially in more rural areas — and the regulatory tools that are available to these districts to manage groundwater sustainably.

The EDF report also warns that Texas is headed in the wrong direction in terms of groundwater management, with most groundwater districts setting long term goals that allow for the eventual depletion of aquifers.

But Vanessa Puig-Williams, director of EDF’s Texas Water Program and lead author of the organization’s report, stressed that districts have the authority to steer these communities and economies in a more sustainable direction. Potential solutions include the creation of management zones, drought triggers, production curtailments, and landowner incentives to keep groundwater underground.

“Local groundwater districts already have the power to protect their communities’ water supplies,” Puig-Williams said. “They simply need better data to inform decisions, as well as the commitment to manage these essential resources in a more sustainable way.”

Click here to read the Meadows Center report on groundwater sustainability, and click here to read the EDF report on groundwater conservation districts.

Mayor Mitch Landrieu is an excellent choice to coordinate President Biden’s Infrastructure plan, and we congratulate him on his selection. Environmental Defense Fund has had the privilege of working with Mayor Landrieu on community resilience, coastal protection and other climate smart projects, and we have seen firsthand his deep experience with disaster management after Hurricane Katrina at the state and local level, and his resilience planning response as Mayor. We also appreciate his thoughtful approach to race and justice as Mayor of New Orleans, and look forward to his continued commitment to those important issues. President Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act presents a significant opportunity to make climate progress through infrastructure, and we’re pleased he has chosen someone with the demonstrated experience and commitment to pro-climate approaches to oversee this work.

• Elizabeth Gore, Senior Vice President, Political Affairs

“The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act President Biden has now signed into law is a valuable and necessary investment in America’s future. The President deserves great credit for working with both parties to deliver results for the American people. Now Congress must finish the job and move quickly to pass the Build Back Better Act, which offers a historic opportunity to fight climate change, create millions of jobs and advance a more equitable America.

“The bipartisan Infrastructure act is a first step towards building a stronger, cleaner economy. It includes funding for EV charging stations, clean electric buses, community resilience against natural disasters including drought, wildfires and floods, lead pipe replacement, the clean up of polluting orphan oil and gas wells, and an expansion of broadband to support farmers and rural America.

“We look forward to fast action on the Build Back Better Act, which is urgently needed to protect our economy from the threat of climate change. The plan includes strong investments that will reduce emissions from transportation, electric power, and industry — the three biggest sources of climate pollution. It will also create millions of new jobs, and promote a healthier and more equitable society.

“Together, we can boost our economy and protect our children and grandchildren from the dangers of climate change.”

• Elizabeth Gore, Senior Vice President, Political Affairs

(Washington, D.C. – Nov. 15, 2021) Attorneys for the non-profit Environmental Defense Fund are formally demanding that the utility Spire Missouri and its affiliate, Spire STL Pipeline, immediately halt a misleading public relations campaign, including an email from Spire Missouri to its customers falsely suggesting they would be left without natural gas heat this winter due to a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. The judicial ruling applies safeguards in the Natural Gas Act to protect Spire’s customers from unnecessary costs and landowners from condemnation of property as a result of Spire’s pipeline. The ruling was in response to legal action by EDF documenting serious flaws in demonstrating the need for the pipeline, and in the review and approval of the pipeline. The U.S. Supreme Court denied Spire’s request to stay or halt the D.C. Circuit’s ruling on October 15th, 2021.

"Spire has caused needless fear on the part of its customers. In fact, as the company is fully aware, EDF has supported uninterrupted operation of the pipeline through the winter. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has taken immediate action to extend service through December 13th and the Commission is poised to take additional immediate action to extend operation through the winter. EDF has consistently told regulators that the pipeline should be allowed to operate through the winter, with appropriate conditions to protect customers from unnecessary costs.

“EDF has been clear from the start that service to St. Louis customers should not be compromised in any way. Spire’s false claims constitute a fear campaign that has caused great distress among its St. Louis area customers, including its most vulnerable populations. Spire’s fear campaign has caused people to send menacing and threatening messages to our employees. It is time for Spire to take responsibility for its actions and the harm it has caused, and to immediately stop their misleading and harmful claims.”

-- Vickie Patton, General Counsel, Environmental Defense Fund

A copy of EDF’s cease and desist letter, which contains details of the legal process as well as some of the many threatening communications we have received, is available here.

Background

EDF filed suit in January 2020 over concerns that the Spire STL pipeline was granted a certificate by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission without the legally required justification that the costly pipeline was needed and beneficial to the public – a legal safeguard meant to protect customers from unnecessary costs, and landowners from inappropriate condemnation of their property.

In June, a U.S. Court of Appeals agreed, finding serious deficiencies in FERC’s approval. In October, the United States Supreme Court declined Spire’s request to stay or halt the Circuit Court ruling. FERC granted Spire STL a temporary operating certificate to continue operating the pipeline through December 13th and is poised to extend the order for the remainder of the winter.

EDF has repeatedly supported the extension, most recently in a letter to FERC on November 10th . Going forward, we believe FERC must do a better job of assessing the benefits and burdens of the infrastructure it approves to ensure customers are protected from unnecessary costs.

After six years of difficult and technical negotiations, the UN climate talks at COP26 in Glasgow finally gave us a strong Paris Agreement rulebook for international cooperation through carbon markets and called on countries to take specific and urgent measures to address dangerous climate change. 

“The agreed Article 6 rules, while not perfect, give countries the tools they need for environmental integrity, to avoid double counting and ultimately to clear a path to get private capital flowing to developing countries. The carbon market rules allow countries to focus their efforts on ambitious implementation of their emission-cutting targets.  

“Today’s agreement on Article 6 provides the rules necessary for a robust, transparent and accountable carbon market to promote more and faster climate ambition and create a further avenue for finance flows from developed to developing countries. 

“The decision eliminates double counting for compliance markets and establishes a strong framework to ensure appropriate accounting for voluntary carbon markets that also supports emission reductions in countries hosting carbon market activities. The carry over of credits left over from the Clean Development Mechanism is not fully restricted with some 120 million tonnes carried forward, but their use is restricted to the first cycle of national commitments.

“The broader agreement at COP26 also represents good progress. In a process typically defined by general and broad calls for action, the decisions at COP26 take a new and welcome direction highlighting specific and urgent climate action. While countries will need to do more at future COPs on adaptation funding, climate finance and loss and damage, COP26 rightly called on countries to reduce global carbon dioxide emissions by 45% by 2030, to achieve net zero carbon dioxide emissions by around mid-century, to stop fossil fuel subsidies and to accelerate the phase down of highly-polluting coal power. For the first time, COP26 calls countries to commit to action on methane in the next decade.

“A COP26 signal to phase out coal and fossil fuels is significant, even if weaker than ideal. The science is clear: we need to rapidly move away from fossil fuels to keep the Paris Agreement global temperature goals alive and avert climate catastrophe. 

“COP26 decided to accelerate the ratcheting mechanism of the Paris Agreement and the delivery of new national commitments, making clear that countries are responding to the fact that current country pledges do not yet put us on a 1.5ºC path.

“Regretfully, there was little movement on the issue of compensating developing countries already suffering from the worst impacts of climate change, known as loss and damage. Developed countries responsible for most of the climate pollution will need to put much more on the table, in the interest of global equity.  

“The sum of COP26 went beyond the two weeks in Glasgow. The COP drove critical announcements long before delegates were on the ground. However, we saw important new announcements in Glasgow, including the U.S.-China Joint Glasgow Declaration on Enhancing Climate Action in the 2020s. This is a hopeful sign that the two countries emitting the most greenhouse gases will continue to work together to tackle climate change. 

“We also saw huge progress on issues that help countries deliver real reductions in emissions — slashing methane pollution and protecting tropical forests. There’s no way to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement without these solutions.

“This COP will be remembered as the Methane Moment — the year this long-overlooked climate pollutant finally received the attention it requires. EDF is proud to have played a key role in focusing global attention on the methane issue, and delighted to see major progress made on controlling this potent greenhouse gas, which the IPCC says is vital to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement.

“Nature also took center stage, with important announcements on forest protection. The Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use committed more than 100 countries, including Brazil, to end deforestation by 2030. Several countries, including the U.S., pledged billions of dollars in funding to help make that goal attainable. The private sector also stepped up, with the LEAF Coalition announcing it has mobilized $1 billion in public and private financing to stop tropical deforestation. 

• Kelley Kizzier, Vice President for Global Climate, Environmental Defense Fund

(GLASGOW – Nov. 12, 2021) The governing Council of the UN’s aviation agency, the International Civil Aviation Organization, has adopted an expanded set of sustainability criteria for sustainable aviation fuel, the ICAO Secretariat announced today at COP26. The Council’s decision will help ensure that SAF used by airlines to meet their Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation obligations mitigates the ecosystem and community risks associated with SAF production, promotes the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and provides certainty for SAF producers as they make investments in the sustainability of their supply chains and operations.

“ICAO Council’s approval of the sustainability criteria is a major milestone. For the first time, a UN body has defined a clear and robust standard for what constitutes sustainability for a mitigation action and has operationalized it with a full-fledged monitoring, reporting and third-party verification system including a high level of assurance. The adoption of the full set of criteria makes CORSIA’s the most comprehensive SAF Framework adopted to date.

“The decision to adopt the full set of sustainability criteria sends a clear signal to countries embarking in SAF policy: support for SAF must include robust environmental safeguards. ICAO Council Members seized the opportunity to set forward-looking sustainability safeguards that will help put aviation on a flightpath to net-zero by 2050. Now, the same countries must take action to jump-start high-integrity SAF by shaping their national policies accordingly.”

• Pedro Piris-Cabezas, Director of Sustainable International Transport and Lead Senior Economist, Environmental Defense Fund

(GLASGOW — Nov. 11, 2021) The United States and China in Glasgow announced yesterday the U.S.-China Joint Glasgow Declaration on Enhancing Climate Action in the 2020s.

“This declaration is a hopeful sign that the two countries emitting the most greenhouse gases will continue to work together to tackle climate change. Though short on details, the announcement is important because the United States and China must address the climate crisis jointly and alongside other major emitters.

“It’s notable that near-term action, in particular to reduce methane emissions, is explicitly on the agenda of this important bilateral relationship and is moving to specifics. Addressing methane now is the most immediate step any country can take to slow warming in our lifetime. As the recent IPCC science report states, it is critical to reduce methane along with aggressive efforts to decarbonize our economies.”

• Fred Krupp, President, Environmental Defense Fund

(Washington, D.C. – November 10, 2021) Environmental Defense Fund filed a request with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission today urging the agency to issue an order on Spire STL Pipeline’s pending request for a temporary emergency certificate.

EDF has previously supported Spire’s temporary certificate to operate through the winter, with appropriate conditions. The new request comes in response to Spire Missouri’s email to customers warning of potential outages and service disruptions.

“Spire’s email has confused and stressed its own customers,” said EDF senior director and lead counsel Natalie Karas. “Spire currently has a temporary certificate to operate the STL pipeline through December 13, and FERC will soon extend that temporary certificate through at least the winter. Today’s letter reiterates the need for prompt FERC action in order to remediate the fear and confusion created by Spire.”

The case in question is EDF v. FERC. In June, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit vacated FERC’s orders approving the Spire STL pipeline and remanded the matter to FERC for further proceedings. The court found that FERC did not sufficiently analyze whether the pipeline was necessary; failed to weigh the benefits of the pipeline against adverse effects, including impacts on ratepayers, landowners and communities in the vicinity of the pipeline; and failed to address evidence of self-dealing by Spire.

The D.C. Circuit subsequently denied Spire’s petition for rehearing and motion to stay issuance of the mandate. The Supreme Court rejected Spire’s request to recall the D.C. Circuit’s mandate, but the company has not yet filed a petition for writ of certiorari.

FERC granted Spire a 90-day temporary emergency certificate on September 14, 2021 so the company could provide continuity of service for its St. Louis customers. FERC is expected to issue another decision in the matter soon.

For additional background, see EDF’s blog post.

(Carson City, NV – November 10, 2021) On November 9^th, Governor Sisolak announced the appointment of Dr. Kristen Averyt as the state’s first Senior Climate Advisor.

“Dr. Kristen Averyt is extremely well-suited to guide comprehensive policy forward that can deliver on the state’s climate goals and safeguard Nevada communities,” said Katelyn Roedner Sutter, Senior Manager for U.S. Climate at EDF.

“While Governor Sisolak established ambitious goals to reduce climate pollution via executive order in 2019 and has taken initial steps toward meeting them, including the state’s clean cars program, there is much more work ahead to achieve these goals. Dr. Averyt’s expertise as a climate scientist and her experience working as the state’s Climate Policy Coordinator make her an excellent choice for charting Nevada’s path from climate pledges to policy.

“We look forward to working with Dr. Averyt to develop a strong policy framework capable of reducing climate pollution across the state’s entire economy. Putting in place policies to achieve the state’s goals will establish Nevada as a national model for state-led climate action and improve the lives of Nevadans by creating good jobs, reducing harmful pollution and lowering energy costs.”

(WASHINGTON, DC – Nov. 10, 2021) As a rapidly changing climate fuels stronger hurricanes, more intense rainfall and sea level rise, EDF and nearly 100 organizations and experts issued a call to action to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to improve and evolve their approaches to provide solutions that tackle the complex issues of independent and compounding flood threats today and in the future. In a letter addressed to newly-confirmed Assistant Secretary of the Army, Civil Works, Michael Connor, the groups outline three specific opportunities for the Corps to meet the challenges of climate-induced flood risk with holistic, equitable and nature-based solutions.

The signers include a diverse array of community-based, regional and national nonprofits and coastal and riverine stakeholder groups, as well as individual academic and policy experts, all representing diverse constituencies from across the country. The letter points to specific places where the Corps can evolve their current approaches to better address climate-fueled flood risk with equitable, nature-based solutions, including New York, Miami, Houston, San Francisco and nationally.

“Our organizations are calling on the Corps to rise to the challenges that climate-induced flooding is creating and evolve to deliver holistic, equitable and long-term solutions. In our rapidly climate-changing world, the standard flood risk reduction operating procedures of the previous century no longer suffice,” said Natalie Snider, associate vice president of Climate Resilient Coasts and Watersheds at Environmental Defense Fund. “The Corps must create a more flood resilient nation by preparing for tomorrow’s flood risks today, leveraging nature as a powerful tool for resilience and prioritizing those communities with the greatest needs.”

“Here on the peninsula of Coney Island in south Brooklyn, New York, we are at the front lines of climate change. Even in a moderate rainfall or high tide, community members feel the trauma of past storms like Ida and Sandy,” said Pamela Pettyjohn, President of Coney Island Beautification Project and a longtime resident of Coney Island. “We need to make sure that communities most affected by the impacts of climate change are empowered and prioritized in decision-making about their futures.”

“To combat our nation’s climate crisis, protect frontline communities, and preserve our vital infrastructure, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must be able to take holistic approaches to solutions,” said Cortney Koenig Worrall, President and CEO, Waterfront Alliance. “Part of this action means planning and committing to solutions with long-term benefits, incorporating nature-based solutions into climate resilience plans, evaluating and reforming cost-benefit-ratio methods to adequately account for multiple benefits, and working closely with environmental justice communities for future planning.”

“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is a central player in our flood protection efforts,” said Skip Stiles, executive director, Wetlands Watch. “In the just-passed infrastructure bill, there is almost $12 billion more for their projects. This makes it essential that they take a broader and longer look at resilience, including social and economic impacts and focusing on nature-based solutions.”

“The Army Corps’ overreliance on hard infrastructure and segregation of sea level rise from storm surge solutions puts ecosystems and families in Florida at risk,” said Rachel Silverstein, Executive Director and Waterkeeper, Miami Waterkeeper. “With a new approach, the Corps could provide comprehensive solutions for our communities.”

“Rising sea levels pose a huge flood threat to the San Francisco Bay Area, where more than 350,000 people and billions of dollars of crucial infrastructure are in the 100-year flood plain,” said David Lewis, Executive Director of Save The Bay. “The Corps should help accelerate more marsh restoration to protect vulnerable communities, before higher tides make that impossible.”

Read the full letter to Assistant Secretary of the Army, Civil Works, Michael Connor here.

Background:

More people across the country are at risk of flooding than ever before – nearly a quarter of the world’s population according to a recent study in Nature. The recent IPCC AR6 Climate Change 2021 report clearly articulated the urgency in moving beyond the status quo in flood risk management, noting many climate-fueled flood impacts are “locked in” for the coming decades.

The Corps plays a key role in developing and prioritizing federal investments to address flooding for the betterment of the nation. The recently passed Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act allocates $11.6 billion to the Corps for projects to address flooding.

The letter outlines three opportunities for the Corps to improve and evolve to provide solutions that tackle the complex issue of independent and compounding flood threats today and in the future:

1. Advance holistic approaches to address comprehensive flood risks.

2. Prioritize natural solutions to address risks over time and deliver other benefits.

3. Incorporate the social and economic impacts and break systematic inequality.

“The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act now headed to President Biden’s desk is a valuable and necessary investment in America’s future. The House must now move quickly to pass the Build Back Better Act, which offers a historic opportunity to fight climate change, create millions of jobs and advance a more equitable America.

“The infrastructure bill contains helpful policies including funding for EV charging stations, clean electric buses, lead pipe replacement and the clean up of polluting orphan oil and gas wells. But it is just one step toward meeting the threat of climate change.

“We look forward to fast action on the Build Back Better Act — one of the most important climate bills ever considered by Congress. The plan includes strong investments that will drive down emissions in the transportation, electric power and industrial sectors — the three biggest sources of climate pollution. It will also create millions of new jobs, and promote a healthier and more equitable country.

“Congress needs to take on the big challenges we face. Both the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the Build Back Better Act are necessary to boost our economy and protect us from climate change. Those who want real solutions to the climate crisis should support both.”

• Elizabeth Gore, Senior Vice President, Political Affairs