Below is the statement opposing the XL-type environmental de-regulation
legislation recently introduced in the U.S. Congress by Sen. Lieberman
(D-CT) and Cong. Dooley (R-CA). Many people from all around the country (
and even some from other countries!) have already signed on, but there is
still time to add your name, since it now looks like it won't really move
forward until next year. If you want to sign-on, please send e-mail to
svtc@igc.apc.org and give us
your name, organization, state, address, and phone number and say that you
are signing on to the XL letter regarding the Dooley-Lieberman legislation.
If you want more information about Project XL and the problems that were
encountered with Project XL around the Intel facility in Chandler, Arizona,
visit our web site at:
Project XL
For more information and the text on the Dooley-Lieberman bill, visit
Dooley-Lieberman Bill.
Please circulate this message to others, and thanks again for signing on.
GRASSROOTS GROUPS OPPOSE ENVIRONMENTAL DE-REGULATION AND SUPPORT COMMUNITY
AND WORKER EMPOWERMENT
On October 30, 1997, Sen. Lieberman (D-CT) and Congressman Dooley (R-CA)
introduced a bill that would essentially
legalize "Project XL" types of environmental de-regulation projects. This
proposed legislation was discussed in a workshop at the recent Citizens
Clearinghouse for Hazardous Waste (CCHW) convention.* At the convention
workshop, the following Statement of Grassroots Organizations on Proposed
National Legislation Promoting "Stakeholder" Negotiations in Lieu of
Regulations was developed and adopted. Since then, many more environmental
and community activists have signed on to the statement. Many grassroots
leaders throughout the US believe that it is crucial that Congress -- --
as well as EPA -- understand that there is significant grassroots
opposition to environmental deregulation, but also strong support for
authentic community and worker empowerment, as described in the attached
Principles and Tools for Developing a Model Empowerment Strategy.
The "Principles and Tools" model has evolved over the past year based on
local community concerns about EPA's implementation of Project XL. On
November 16, 1996, the Clinton Administration signed a precedent setting
"Project XL" agreement for environmental de-regulation with Intel
Corporation, the world's largest manufacturer of semiconductors. Many
grassroots leaders believe that the Intel Project XL agreement turns back
the clock on hard-won laws that were designed to protect the environment and
workers and community health. It was widely rejected by over 130
non-governmental organizations who feel that Project XL creates dangerous
precedents by removing regulatory review in the name of streamlining without
replacing the review with effective forms of precaution and accountability
to those who are affected. (See
SVTC web site for further information)
* (CCHW is a national grass roots environmental justice organization,
founded by Lois Gibbs who led the effort to clean up the pollution at Love
Canal.)
STATEMENT OF GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS ON PROPOSED NATIONAL LEGISLATION
PROMOTING "STAKEHOLDER" NEGOTIATIONS IN LIEU OF REGULATIONS
- We oppose all deregulation efforts that undermine environmental and
occupational health and safety regulations and protections.
- We support AUTHENTIC community and worker empowerment consistent with
the Principles and Tools for Developing a Model Empowerment Strategy,
described below:
- Encourage public participation
- Co-sponsor with community organizations: decision making, developing
agendas, establishing goals
- Educate community to enable equal participation to influence decision
making
- Seek out & facilitate broad involvement (not hand picked by facility or
EPA) Groups to include: community and neighborhood groups, community
service organizations, educational institutions, environmental groups,
medical community, non-govt orgs, religious communities
- Design logistics to encourage participation (meetings accessible to all,
translation equipment, atmosphere and process of equal participation
- Mechanics to encourage participation (cross cultural exchanges,
facilitator trained in EJ(environmental justice) issues, define roles for
equal participation, provide information needed to participate
- Consensus decision making by all participants including: Goal setting,
implementation, evaluation, all parties have sign-off authority
- Adequate funding to enable participation. Including day-to day
operations & facilitation, independent technical assistance, education and
training for participation, community reinvestment projects paid for by
facility from regulatory savings
- Transparency of information Including: mass balance information,
monitoring, independent verification/auditing
- Worker participation--Including: education and training, independent
technical assistance, protection from retaliation, participation in design
of system & design worker self-monitoring, commitment to reduce exposure
- Balance of power--Build in clearly defined points of leverage to
equalize balance of power for all participants
- Proportionality--Assure that all parties receive equal benefits (i.e.
proportionality between superior environmental health & safety, engagement
of and accountability to communities and workers, regulatory flexibility)
- Prohibit risk shifting--Consistent with Executive Order 12898,
communities and workers must be protected from unjust impacts
Sign-ons: (Organizations for identification purposes only)
Richard & Ana Adams
Pete Altman, SEED Coalition, TX
Lanell S. Anderson, Citizens Environmental Council, TX
Fran Ansley, College of Law, Univ. of TN, TN
Carl Anthony, Urban Habitat Program, CA
Jonathon Bachrach
Wanda S Ballentine, CPA, OR
Domenick Bertelli, MIT, MA
J.R. Bertram, Computer Prof. for Social Responsibility, CA
Kerri Blanchard, Concerned Citizens of Union County, NJ
Max Bollock, Peace Action of San Mateo County, CA
Stephen Brittle, Don't Waste Arizona, AZ
Charlotte Brody, Center for Health, Environment and Justice, VA
Bob Brule, Dresel Univ. School fo Env. Science, PA
Dr. Robert Bullard, Environmental Justice Resource Center, GA
Leslie Byster, Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, CA
John Capillo, Eastern Kentucky University, KY
Neil Carman, PhD, Clean Air Prog Dir.,Lone Star Chapter, Sierra Club, TX
Meg Casey, Service Employees International Union, DC
Jackie Casperman, NY
Donald B. Clark, UCC- Network for Environ. & Econ. Responsibility, TN
Gary Cohen, Health Care Without Harm, MA
George Coling, Environmental Consultant, VA
Elizabeth Crowe, KY Env. Found., Chemical Weapons Working Group,KY
Cathy Crumbley, Univ. of Lowell, Center for Sustainable Prod., MA
Ruth Culver, East Texas Communities Network, TX
Casper Davis, US citizen living in Canada,Canada
Peter L. deFur, Prof. Envir. Studies, VCU, VA
Bernadette Del Chiaro, Toxics Action Center, CT
Chris Desser, Migratory Species Project, CA
Ben Doe, Accra Sustainable Program , Accra
Mary Beth Doyle, Ecology Center, MI
Richard Drury, Communities for a Better Environment, CA
Michael Eisenscher, consultant to labor, CA
Frank Emspak, School for Workers - Univ. of Wisconsin, WI
Judy Enck, NYPIRG, NY
Brad Erickson, Political Ecology Group, CA
Tom Estabrook, Univ. of Lowell, Work& Env. Dept., MA
Jeremy Faludi, trainer, Applied Materials, CA
Tom Fitzgerald, KY Resources Council, KY
Marian Flum, Univ. of Lowell, Dept. Work & Environment, MA
Philip Frankenfeld, DC
Tony Fretcher, London School of Hygiene and TM, UK
Tina Friedman, MCEC, NJ
Mark Friedman, CNNE, CA
Sara Gardner, Howard Samuels Center, CUNY, NY
Fernanda Giannasi, Ban Asbestos Network, Brasil
Lois Gibbs, CCHW, VA
Kathy Ging, NW Eco-Building Guild, OR
Robert Ginsburg, Ph.D., Midwest Center for Labor Research, IL
Phyllis Glazer, Mothers Organized to Stop Environ. Sins, TX
Fred Goff, DataCenter - President, CA
Michael Green, Center for Environmental Health, CA
Bill Green, People Against Contaminated Environments, TX
Stuart Greenberg, Environmental Health Watch, OH
Terry Greene, JSI, Center for Env. Health Studies, MA
Michael Gregory, AZ Toxics Information, AZ
Charles Griffith, Ecology Center-Ann Arbor, MI
Jacky Grimshaw, Chgo. Transport & Air Quality Progr. CNT, IL
Charlotte Hartman, NSA, NY
Alanna Hartzog, Earth Rights Institute, PA
Amanda Hawes, Santa Clara Center for Occupational Safety and Health, CA
Sylvia Hawley, occupational analyst, Univ. of OR, OR
Martin Hernandez, Labor/Community Strategy Center, CA
Cheryl Hirshman, Center for Children's Media, MD
Laura Hitchcock, WA
Robert H. Hogner, Associate Prof. of Busniess Environ, FL Univ., FL
Skelly Holmbeck-Pelham, School of Forestry Resources, Univ. of Georgia, GA
David Holt, environmental consultant, KY
Tian Hunter, Enviro. Working Group, Green Party, CA
Anna-Karin Hurt, London School of Hygiene &TM, UK
Jeff Jones
Jay Kardan, Sierra Club, Conservation Chair, VA
Joshua Karliner, Transnational Resource & Action Center, CA
Marylia Kelley, Tri-Valley Cares, CA
Ann Knox, PA Env. Network, PA
Denny Larson, Communities for a Better Environment, CA
Cathy Lemar, Military Toxics Project, ME
Charles Levenstein, UMass Lowell, MA
Tim Little, Rose Foundation, CA
Bruce Livingston, Health Access, Exec. Dir., CA
Boy Luthje, Universität Frankfurt, GER
Jeffrey Mahr, Emory University, GA
Daryl Malek-Wiley, M&W Assoc., LA
Anja Malhatra, United Food & Commercial Workers, DC
Eugene Marner, NY
David Matusow, Project XL Community Stakeholder, AZ
Deborah McCarthy, Northeastern University, MA
John Meehan, Citizens for Env. Justice
Albert R. Metheny, Dept. of Pol. Science, Univ. FLA, FL
Alan Moore, American Federation of Teachers, OR
Tim Newton, Dept. Organ. Psych., Univ. London, UK
Bruce Northridge, Env. Coalition of MS, MS
Zoflia Nowakowski, Dept. of City & Reg Planning, Rutgers Univ., NY
Peter Olney, LA MAP, CA
Aykia Param, Publisher, Women and Money, CA
Ron Parry, PhD, Galveston-Houston Assoc. for Smog Prevention, TX
Carlos Porras, Communities for a Better Environment, CA
Thompson E. Potter, AFSCME 3650 Harvard Union clerical & Tech Workers, MA
Bowden Quinn, Grand Cal Task Force, IL
Anne Rabe, Citizen Environmental Coalition, NY
Jill Ratner, Rose Foundation, CA
George Reiter, History Professor, Univ. of TX, TX
Craig Rodine, University of Cambridge (UK), UK
Alex Sagady, AJSA, MI
Raquel Sancho, Santa Clara Center for Occ. Safety & Health, CA
Madeline Scammel, Loka Institute, MA
Michelle Schlief, Hampshire College, MA
John Schweitzer, Prof, Urban Affairs, MI State Univ., MI
Fran Serapin, CURE, NY
Bob Shavelson, Cook Inlet Keeper, AK
Chris Shuey, Southwest Research and Information Center, NM
Lenny Siegel, Pacific Studies Center, CA
Samantha Smith, Renseller Polytechnic Institute, PA
Ted Smith, Campaign for Responsible Technology, CA
O. H. Michael Smith, IL
Reshma Sohoni, University of Pennsylvania, PA
Mi-A Son, London School of Hygiene and TM, UK
Frances Stanley-Jones, GIS Consultant, CA
Michael Stanley-Jones, Environmental Consultant, CA
Carolyn Stephens, London School of Hygiene and TM, UK
Harold Stokes, OR
Peter Strauss, PM Strauss and Associates, CA
Shanna H. Swan Ph.D., School of Public Health, CA
Dave Swartz, OCAW, Canada
Lyle Talbot, Desert Citizens Against Pollution, CA
Gary M. Throop, Clarkson Univ., Dept. of Management, NY
Dan Toomey, UMass Lowell, NH
Jim Trammel, TN Citizen Action, TN
Angelina Vengas, UC-Davis, CA
Cindy Verloop, UC-San Diego, CA
Michael Warburton, Ecology Center, CA
Carroll Webber, East Carolina Univ.
Jane Williams, CA Communities Against Toxics, CA
Emily Yozell, Justicia para la Naturaleza, Costa Rica
Andrew Zimmerman, DE Tech Comm. College, DE
