FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, January 27, 2021
CONTACT: Madison Donzis | madison@unbendablemedia.com
Nurses Group Applauds President Biden’s Executive Action Suspending Oil and Gas Leasing on Federal Land
Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments Warned Air Pollution from Oil and Gas Drilling Could Worsen COVID Impacts
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, President Biden will issue a series of executive orders on conserving America’s public lands, including one order suspending new leases for oil and gas drilling on federal lands.
In reaction to President Biden’s actions, Katie Huffling, MS, RN, CNM, FAAN and executive director of the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, explained:
“The COVID-19 pandemic unmasked long-standing inequities within our country. The same inequities that make it so certain communities bear a greater burden of oil and gas pollution may also put them at greater risk from COVID-19. Racial injustices, the pandemic, air pollution and climate change are all interconnected and should not be treated as single-issues by our elected officials”
“That’s why we are deeply encouraged by President Biden’s executive orders suspending oil and gas leasing on federal land and taking steps to preserve air quality and protect the health of the American people.
“Our country’s response to the pandemic must be holistic, prioritizing communities impacted by racism, health inequities, and air pollution in the COVID response – and we need to do so while addressing the impacts of climate change. We need solutions that support a healthier future for America’s communities – and this executive order is a bold step in the right direction.”
Earlier this month, nurses on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic and members of the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments sent a letter to now President Biden, and his nominees for Interior and EPA, supporting a pause on oil and gas leasing on federal public land and urged his Administration to reopen the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for particulate matter. The letter comes as a new report from the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments warns about the implications of environmental pollution from the oil and gas industry on COVID health outcomes.
READ THE LETTER IN FULL HERE: https://envirn.org/anhe-letter-to-biden-transition/
READ THE FULL REPORT HERE: https://envirn.org/unmasking/
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The Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments is the only national nursing organization focused solely on the intersection of health and the environment. The mission of the Alliance is to promote healthy people and healthy environments by educating and leading the nursing profession, advancing research, incorporating evidence-based practice, and influencing policy.
