Operated for nearly 3 decades as open-pit, cyanide heap-leach mines, the Zortman-Landusky mines plagued the surrounding area with cyanide & acid mine drainage, contaminating surface & ground waters, including those flowing onto the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. That's not all. In 1998, the mine operators declared bankruptcy and left behind a drastically underfunded clean-up effort, which has largely been shouldered by taxpayers. The acid mine drainage will perpetually pollute the area and the water must be continually treated, but that's not enough.

In light of Sackett v. EPA, as much as 118 million acres of formerly protected wetlands are now threatened. So why are wetlands so important? 🧵 While industry still views them as “wasteland” waiting to be filled in, destroyed, and developed for profit, wetlands are essential ecosystems that protect us from flooding, provide food, and are critical to wildlife. In fact, wetlands are often called "biological supermarkets."

BREAKING: In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court severely weakened the Clean Water Act in Sackett v. EPA. This is a catastrophic loss for water protections across the country and a win for big polluters, putting our communities, public health, and local ecosystems in danger.

https://twitter.com/sambhavsankar/status/1661744109248466944?s=20

BREAKING: @EPA has taken major steps to protect fenceline communities by proposing long-overdue updates to two rules to reduce cancer-causing air pollution from petrochemical facilities.

This is a win for every community known as “cancer alley” due to these pollutants. 🧵 For the first time ever, @EPA considered the cumulative impact that multiple air polluters have on fenceline communities when updating rules 👏 #ProtectOurAir #PetrochemRule ejus.tc/433WCJ8

BREAKING: We're going to court. The Biden Administration approved the Willow oil project without adequately assessing its climate impacts. It could've properly weighed its options to limit the impact. It could've said no. It didn't. And now, we are filing a lawsuit to stop it.

https://twitter.com/Earthjustice/status/1635289248772530179

Together with @NRDC, we filed a legal challenge claiming the Biden administration has failed to consider alternatives that could have meaningfully reduced greenhouse gas emissions and on-the-ground effects of the Willow Project.

BREAKING: Today @EPA finally released the nation’s first drinking water standards for six highly dangerous PFAS chemicals. About 200 million people drink water contaminated by these “forever chemicals,” which stay in the environment and our bodies for decades. Communities poisoned by PFAS contamination have been urging @EPA to pass these laws and prevent residents from further suffering caused by the toxic chemicals which include health harms like reproductive harm, immune deficiencies, and cancer.

BREAKING: The Biden Administration has just approved ConocoPhillips's Willow oil project, ignoring pleas from millions who called for the Alaska oil-drilling plan to be halted due to concerns about climate change. 🧵 .@Interior’s record of decision ignores the project's dire climate and biodiversity impacts. It approves 3 drilling pads which will produce 92% of the oil ConocoPhillips initially sought to develop, amounting to more than 260 million metric tons of greenhouse gases.

Trump is totally distorting his environmental record today. He continues to deny climate change amid worsening storms and disasters and scientists around the world warning of horrible floods, heatwaves, catastrophic storms and economic crises. pscp.tv/w/1mrxmvvpkrQKy Trump falsely claims that particulate matter or soot is six times lower here than the global average. Here’s the truth: He’s planning to increase soot emissions from coal-fired plants which will cause thousands to lose their lives each year.