EcoWatch
Facebook 573k Twitter 238k Instagram 37k Subscribe Subscribe
  • Climate
  • Energy
  • Policy
  • Renewables
  • Culture
  • Science
  • Go Solar Today
      • Top Companies By State
        • California Solar Companies
        • Texas Solar Companies
        • New York Solar Companies
        • Florida Solar Companies
        • See All States
      • Top Incentives By State
        • California Solar Incentives
        • Texas Solar Incentives
        • New York Solar Incentives
        • Florida Solar Incentives
        • See All States
      • Solar Panel Costs By State
        • Solar Panel Costs in California
        • Solar Panel Costs in Texas
        • Solar Panel Costs in New York
        • Solar Panel Costs in Florida
        • See All States
      • Value of Solar by State
        • Is Solar Worth It In California?
        • Is Solar Worth It in Texas?
        • Is Solar Worth It New York?
        • Is Solar Worth It In Florida?
        • See All States
      • Company Reviews
        • Tesla Solar Review
        • Sunrun Solar Review
        • SunPower Solar Review
        • Vivint Solar Review
        • See All Companies
      • Common Solar Questions
        • Can You Get Free Solar Panels?
        • Does Solar Increase Home Value?
        • What’re The Best Solar Batteries?
        • Can You Finance Solar?
        • Where To Buy Solar Panels?
        • Payback On Solar Panels?
      • Solar Resources
        • Interactive Solar Calculator
        • Federal Solar Tax Credit 2023
        • Best Solar Panels For Most Homes
        • Tesla Solar Roof Review
        • Cheapest Solar Panels
      • Companies Compared
        • SunPower vs Tesla Solar
        • SunRun vs Tesla Solar
        • SunRun vs SunPower
        • SunPower vs Momentum Solar
        • SunPower vs ADT Solar
EcoWatch
  • Climate
  • Energy
  • Policy
  • Renewables
  • Culture
  • Science
  • Go Solar Today
    • Go Solar Today
    • Top Companies By State
      • California Solar Companies
      • Texas Solar Companies
      • New York Solar Companies
      • Florida Solar Companies
      • See All States
    • Top Incentives By State
      • California Solar Incentives
      • Texas Solar Incentives
      • New York Solar Incentives
      • Florida Solar Incentives
      • See All States
    • Solar Panel Costs By State
      • Solar Panel Costs in California
      • Solar Panel Costs in Texas
      • Solar Panel Costs in New York
      • Solar Panel Costs in Florida
      • See All States
    • Value of Solar by State
      • Is Solar Worth It In California?
      • Is Solar Worth It in Texas?
      • Is Solar Worth It New York?
      • Is Solar Worth It In Florida?
      • See All States
    • Company Reviews
      • Tesla Solar Review
      • Sunrun Solar Review
      • SunPower Solar Review
      • Vivint Solar Review
      • See All Companies
    • Common Solar Questions
      • Can You Get Free Solar Panels?
      • Does Solar Increase Home Value?
      • What’re The Best Solar Batteries?
      • Can You Finance Solar?
      • Where To Buy Solar Panels?
      • Payback On Solar Panels?
    • Solar Resources
      • Interactive Solar Calculator
      • Federal Solar Tax Credit 2023
      • Best Solar Panels For Most Homes
      • Tesla Solar Roof Review
      • Cheapest Solar Panels
    • Companies Compared
      • SunPower vs Tesla Solar
      • SunRun vs Tesla Solar
      • SunRun vs SunPower
      • SunPower vs Momentum Solar
      • SunPower vs ADT Solar

The best of EcoWatch right in your inbox. Sign up for our email newsletter!

    • About EcoWatch
    • Contact EcoWatch
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Learn About Solar Energy
    Facebook 573k Twitter 238k Instagram 37k
    EcoWatch
    • About EcoWatch
    • Contact EcoWatch
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Learn About Solar Energy
    Facebook 573k Twitter 238k Instagram 37k
    Home Politics

    Environmental Justice Advocates Successfully Block Manchin’s Side Deal

    By: Olivia Rosane
    Updated: December 8, 2022
    Edited by Chris McDermott
    Facebook icon Twitter icon Pinterest icon Email icon
    Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) talks on the phone at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC
    Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on Nov. 29, 2022. Drew Angerer / Getty Images
    Why you can trust us

    Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

    Facebook icon Twitter icon Pinterest icon Email icon

    West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin’s so-called dirty side deal was dealt another blow when Democratic leadership declined to attach it to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

    The legislation, which would have fast-tracked permitting for energy projects and pushed through the controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline, was reportedly supported at first by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. However, support wavered after more than 750 frontline communities and environmental justice organizations wrote a letter to Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer Monday opposing the deal. 

    “Manchin’s efforts to tie his dirty deal to any must-pass legislation he can get his hands on are undemocratic and potentially devastating for the planet,” Ariel Moger, political affairs director of Friends of the Earth — one of the letter signatories — said, as The Guardian reported. “With momentum on the side of frontline communities, the fight will continue until the bill dies at the end of this Congress.”

    Manchin’s side deal, officially called the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA), was supposed to be the price Democratic leadership paid for the pro-coal Senator’s support for the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the nation’s largest investment in climate spending to date. In exchange for his yes vote, Manchin, who receives more money from fossil fuel and pipeline companies than any other U.S. legislator, wanted a vote on permitting reform. Manchin’s act would limit the environmental review process for energy projects to two years, coordinate the review process under one agency and take steps to avoid delays. It would also mandate that agencies do everything necessary to permit the Mountain Valley Pipeline, a controversial fracked natural gas pipeline through Virginia and West Virginia that has faced local opposition and legal setbacks. 

    More From EcoWatch
    • Public Utilities Commission: Who They Are & How They Affect Energy Prices
    • What Is Community Solar?
    • Are ‘Free Solar Panels’ Really Free?

    Democratic leadership argued that Manchin’s bill could ultimately be a good thing for climate action, since it would also facilitate renewable energy projects and the transmission lines needed to connect them to the grid, The Washington Post explained. However, progressive Democrats, environmental and climate justice groups and communities who stand to be impacted by fossil fuel extraction argue that it is dangerous to rush through the planning process in ways that could ignore the voices of stakeholders and undermine long-standing environmental laws like the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

    “While we acknowledge the importance of accelerating the deployment of renewable energy, that should not come at the expense of gutting bedrock environmental laws such as NEPA and the Clean Water Act or cutting community engagement, and it should certainly not occur in a way that sacrifices environmental justice communities by placing them in [harm’s] way or removing their rights to legal due process or self determination,” the 754 organizations behind Monday’s letter argued.

    An attempt to include Manchin’s act with legislation needed to fund the government at the end of September failed when it became clear it could not garner enough votes. At the time, the deal was defeated both by opposition from the left and Republican Senators. 

    However, on Sunday The Washington Post reported that Schumer and Pelosi were working to get Manchin’s act attached to the NDAA, according to two people familiar with the situation. The NDAA sets the next year’s geopolitical priorities, purchases weapons and establishes pay raises and compensation for injured soldiers and is therefore considered essential legislation, The Guardian explained. The news that Manchin’s permitting proposal might be tacked on to it sparked outrage from environmental justice advocates.

    “To think that this is happening at the hands of Democrats, and their very last action of power is going to be to hurt our communities and strip our voice is really hurtful. I feel betrayed,” Maria Lopez Nunez — who is deputy director of New Jersey’s Ironbound Community Corporation and a member of the White House environmental justice advisory council — said, as The Guardian reported. “For any Democrat that’s listening, if you’re playing along to this charade, our community will call you out and we will hold you accountable.”

    Republicans will take control of the House in January, and Pelosi is stepping down as leader of the House’s Democratic caucus, leaving her vulnerable to attacks on her legacy. 

    “We want to make sure that in her last weeks, environmental justice leaders don’t feel betrayed,” Earthjustice legislative director Raul Garcia told The Washington Post.

    While Manchin’s side-deal will no longer be attached to the NDAA, climate advocates are still wary that Manchin and his fossil fuel allies will try again.

    “The industry will keep trying these secretive, last minute efforts to push forward dirty deals, so we will continue to be alert and we won’t let up the fight,” North America director for letter signatory 350.org Jeff Ordower said, as The Guardian reported. 

    Subscribe to get exclusive updates in our daily newsletter!

      By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from EcoWatch Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisements and sponsored content.

      Olivia Rosane

      Olivia Rosane is a freelance writer and reporter with a decade’s worth of experience. She has been contributing to EcoWatch daily since 2018 and has also covered environmental themes for Treehugger, The Trouble, YES! Magazine and Real Life. She holds a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Cambridge and a master’s in Art and Politics from Goldsmiths, University of London.
      Facebook icon Twitter icon Pinterest icon Email icon

      Read More

      'Groundbreaking' Report Shows Promise of Greener Jobs for Former Fossil Fuel Workers
      By Julia Conley
      By Common Dreams
      World’s Glaciers at Serious Risk From Climate Crisis
      The world’s glaciers are in serious trouble. 
      By Olivia Rosane
      Bomb Cyclone Brings Evacuations, Deaths and Power Outages to Storm-Weary California
      At least two people have died in a “bomb cyclone”
      By Olivia Rosane

      Subscribe to get exclusive updates in our daily newsletter!

        By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from EcoWatch Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisements and sponsored content.

        Latest Articles

        • Analysis Shows U.S. Wind and Solar Could Outpace Coal and Nuclear Power in 2023
          by Common Dreams
          January 8, 2023
        • ‘Groundbreaking’ Report Shows Promise of Greener Jobs for Former Fossil Fuel Workers
          by Common Dreams
          January 8, 2023
        • Step Aboard the Solar-Powered ‘Tesla on the Water’
          by Olivia Rosane
          January 8, 2023
        • Sustainable Home Swaps 101: How to Make Your Own Laundry Detergent
          by Linnea Harris
          January 7, 2023
        • Electric Car Sales Reach Record High in UK, Overtaking Diesel
          by Cristen Hemingway Jaynes
          January 7, 2023
        • Exxon Sues Over EU Windfall Tax
          by Olivia Rosane
          January 6, 2023
        • Investors Worth $8 Trillion Want Chemical Companies to Phase Out PFAS
          by Olivia Rosane
          January 6, 2023
        • World’s Glaciers at Serious Risk From Climate Crisis
          by Olivia Rosane
          January 6, 2023
        EcoWatch

        The best of EcoWatch right in your inbox. Sign up for our email newsletter!

          • Climate Climate
          • Animals Animals
          • Health + Wellness Health + Wellness
          • Insights + Opinion Insights + Opinion
          • Adventure Adventure
          • Oceans Oceans
          • Business Business
          • Solar Solar
          • About EcoWatch
          • Contact EcoWatch
          • EcoWatch Reviews
          • Terms of Use
          • Privacy Policy
          • Learn About Solar Energy
          • Learn About Deregulated Energy
          • EcoWatch UK
          Follow Us
          Facebook 573k
          Twitter 238k
          Instagram 37k
          Subscribe Subscribe

          Experts for a healthier planet and life.

          Mentioned by:
          Learn more