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, Former 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.”
For nearly 80 years, Defenders of Wildlife has worked to protect and restore America’s wildlife at risk of extinction, advancing a vision of a future in which wildlife thrives, sustained by broad public support and a resilient network of healthy lands and waters. With a network of more than 2 million supporters, Defenders is an advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard wildlife for generations to come. To learn more, please visit https://defenders.org/newsroom or follow us on Instagram @defendersofwildlife.
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