WASHINGTON (Aug. 1, 2017) – The Department of Homeland Security waived a host of environmental laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Solid Waste Disposal Act among dozens of others, to expand the border wall along a 15-mile stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border near San Diego.
Jamie Rappaport Clark, president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife, issued the following statement:
“Does former Secretary Kelly have no shame? Waiving national environmental laws that aim to conserve our natural heritage deprives American citizens of their rights under federal laws. It is a betrayal of the American system of government.
“No government official should be above the law. Yet then Secretary Kelly has today unilaterally declared himself exempt from every law that would require him to protect the environment so he can pursue a single-minded effort to build a wall that Americans do not want and that will only harm communities and wildlife. That is surely unconstitutional, and Defenders of Wildlife will join with the many other organizations and communities that will stand up to challenge this unlawful act in court.”
Defenders of Wildlife is celebrating 75 years of protecting all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With a nationwide network of nearly 2.2 million members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife heritage for generations to come. For more information, visit defenders.org/newsroom and follow us on Twitter @Defenders.
