Did you know that in 48 of our 50 states, people have no legal right to clean air, clean water or a healthy environment? State and local governments can enact policies and permits without considering the air you breathe or the water you drink. This is how chemical plants in Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley” were built adjacent to neighborhoods and schools. It is how the New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) electric corridor can cut through Maine towns who object.
Thirteen states are now working to establish citizen rights to clean air, clean water and a healthy environment by adding these rights to their state constitutions. Maine is one of them.
Two states, Montana and Pennsylvania, have environmental rights. In Pennsylvania, the gas industry convinced the state legislature that fracking should be exempt from local zoning ordinances, and allowed to locate anywhere. The Delaware River Keeper’s Network sued the state for allowing this, based on their constitutional rights to a healthy environment. They won! As a result, local zoning ordinances were reinstated.
In Montana, a proposed gold mining operation would have released millions of gallons of toxic effluent into the pristine Blackfoot River. Because Montana’s constitution includes the right to clean air and water, citizen advocates were able to halt this project before it was built.
Nothing is more fundamental to our health, our future and our self determination than clean air, clean water and a healthy environment. Right now we rely on federal and state laws to protect us and safeguard natural resources. But laws can be changed, so this protection is not assured. We need constitutional environmental rights to guide to our governing bodies, to establish environmental justice in law, and to assure our environmental rights are permanent.
Having constitutional environmental rights means that environmental impacts would be considered at the start of projects, not after the fact. These rights can protect us from government over-reach. They can build environmental justice by giving citizens equal rights to a clean environment. They can provide communities with a tool to protect their local environment. And they will assure that the air, water and environment are protected for future generations.
You can support this effort in Maine by supporting The Pine Tree Amendment (LD 489). This bill will come before the Maine legislature in January. Since it is a constitutional amendment, it must pass by a 2/3 majority in the House and the Senate. A letter, call or email to your state representatives can make a big difference. Please reach out today and ask for their support! To learn more, go to www.pinetreeamendment.org.
If you are from another state, you could join an existing environmental rights initiative, or organize new one. Learn more about state initiatives here: www.forthegenerations.org.