Turtle Island Restoration Network and other members of the Endangered Species Coalition are keeping an eye on the U.S. Congress’s sneaky attempts to roll back environmental protections during the budgeting process. We sent a letter to Congress alerting them to the long list of anti-environmental riders involved in Appropriations bills.

Congress is trying to sneak in over 150 anti-environmental riders into Appropriations bills!

Some of anti-environmental issues in the riders include:

1) undermining the nation’s ability to solve the aquatic invasive species crisis by removing the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate ballast water (water  carried in ships’ ballast tanks to improve stability etc. It is taken up or discharged when cargo is unloaded or loaded, or when a ship needs extra stability in foul weather. When ships take on ballast water, plants and animals that live in the ocean are also picked up) discharges under the Clean Water Act;

2) discouraging citizens from enforcing essential protections of the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Clean Water Act; and

3) blocking new marine monuments and undermining the Antiquities Act.

Turtle Island Restoration Network will continue to work to bring sneaky efforts like these anti-environmental riders to light. We must be vigilant in our work to protect the oceans and the amazing wildlife within them!