Good things are happening! Grassroots activism is making waves in Colorado, putting a toxic oil refinery under major scrutiny. Plus, construction workers get a big break, scientists inch closer to a clean energy future, renters get organized, and more.
Refinery Rebuffed
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cracked down on Colorado’s only major oil refinery last week, objecting to the company’s permit renewal after a series of chemical releases and air quality violations and requiring the state to enforce changes to decrease toxic pollution.
The Lever has reported on how this Suncor oil refinery, in a low-income Denver-suburb, has repeatedly poisoned residents’ air and ignored health and safety regulations while lining the pockets of its Wall Street shareholders with billions of dollars that could have gone towards maintenance and improvements.
National activist group GreenLatino, alongside lawyers from nonprofit environmental law organization Earthjustice, have been pushing the EPA to reject Suncor’s permits. This EPA decision is a big win, but it’s not the end of the battle. The EPA decision will require the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to evaluate carbon monoxide and opacity limits at the plant, look closely into any previous plant modifications, and potentially revise the plant’s permit — although the plant will continue to operate while investigations are underway.
The ultimate goal is to shut down Suncor for good, but small steps like this could help improve air quality for Denver residents and lead to further action.
Construction Workers Get A 40-Year Raise
The Department of Labor brought back crucial wage protections for construction workers on Tuesday, restoring and modernizing a New Deal-era rule in what could bring the biggest boost to construction worker wages in four decades.
It is such an uphill battle for people with low income who do not have the funds to hire lawyers to fight for them in the courts. Most of Congress is too busy raising their own money and campaigning to truly bother with the little guy. Hope this moves the country a few inches closer to equity ... I really don't see "equity" ever happening. But successes such as these might make it a little better.
Donald, I agree with you that these successes provide some relief. But this country is going downhill more or less relentlessly, and quickly, and it's taking other parts of the world with it. Power seems to be fixed in the wrong, and maladaptive, places, and as even "The Lever" points out, it doesn't appear to do much good to elect moderates, even Democrats, to govern. The money turns everyone's heads. If I weren't too old, I would at least leave, and go live in some other country.
The possible good news is that Republicans, at least, seem to be in such a frenzy to dig themselves deeper and deeper into a growing hole, and this, plus the appearance of more "progressive" and younger candidates, might get us on a better path, if it isn't already too late. If I had to bet money on the '24 election, I'd bet that there would be an anti-Rep/con sweep. But even if there is, that's no guarantee that future American governments won't return to the same maladaptive, 99%/1%, place where we are now. But the clock is ticking loudly, and Dems don't appear to be disposed to offer anything better than Biden, who's far better than Trump, but not nearly as good as many of the people who don't apparently want to challenge him. Williamson and Kennedy are not challengers worth talking about.
And it's not just an uphill battle for those with low income. It's an uphill battle for everyone except those so rich that they can construct cocoons for themselves. By the time the shit hits the fan for those people, they'll be dead. And they clearly don't care even about their own heirs.
Fred