Keeping government open and accountable
Government decisions should be transparent
The National Environmental Policy Act, the nation’s oldest federal environmental law, is rooted in transparency and consistency, allowing communities to engage and give input on major decisions that impact their health and safety. NEPA is one of the strongest tools available to raise environmental justice concerns and to ensure all energy and infrastructure projects are designed with equity in mind.
Communities rely on NEPA to better understand how large projects, like pipelines and highways, could affect their lives and livelihoods. NEPA exists to keep neighbors informed and allow them as stakeholders to suggest alternatives that make projects better. Early collaboration with affected communities helps identify conflicts, present creative solutions, and set good projects up for success. To take on the challenge of the climate crisis, we need the NEPA process to swiftly advance projects that communities want.
But it only works when government agencies are fully committed to transparency and public engagement, which benefits all parties across the board. At every step of the way, we work to ensure NEPA functions as a tool for communities. We will continue to push for better policies with agencies, fight attempts to undermine NEPA in court, and advocate in all branches of government to preserve the right for the public to makes their voices heard.
We often use Freedom of Information laws hand-in-hand with NEPA to help our communities be informed about government proposals. But too often government agencies make it hard for people to fully understand what their federal, state and local governments are doing, or want to do, and how public funds are paying for it. In some cases, governments withhold important records from the public by charging large fees or making the process to access information difficult. We are committed to challenging any government obstinance that keeps citizens in the dark.
To power the clean energy future, we need to build broad consensus around new projects to tackle and adapt to the climate crisis. NEPA has always played a critical role in ensuring public participation, but it has never been more needed than now.
Kym Meyer, Litigation Director and leader of SELC’s Government Accountability Team
Breaking down barriers
Getting copies of public records should be as simple as asking for them. Attending government meetings should just require you showing up. And voicing concerns and alternatives for major infrastructure projects should be straightforward. But attempts to minimize or eliminate the opportunity for public participation or failing to hold agencies accountable is counter to the very principles NEPA is intended to serve.
SELC has gone to court time and time again to ensure stakeholders have the information they are entitled to and are allowed to participate in the process and urges agencies to exercise informed decision-making. That’s just good governance, and SELC is committed to ensuring transparency and consistency.
Challenging legislative attempts to undermine NEPA
As state legislatures push bills on behalf of utilities or industries to protect their operations and potential wrongdoing from public disclosure, we are fighting both in public and behind-the-scenes to make sure the government is serving the public first.
We also work to maintain and strengthen protections under NEPA, including weighing in on federal rulemakings and advocating against ill-advised Congressional proposals to roll back foundational provisions of this bedrock law.
Recent news for government transparency and NEPA
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