Ecosytem Bill of Rights

The agencies of the government that appear to regulate industry are now little more than 'Permitting' bodies. That is what they do. They permit corporations to take resources and pollute the environment we depend upon for survival. They put on a good show, do some studies and charge money for the "permits" but they don't really regulate much of anything when it comes to corporations. Corporations after all, are persons and persons are innocent until proven guilty and have constitutional rights.

A small local governing body in Pennsylvania got tired of being pushed around by both corporations and state and federal permitting bodies. The Grant township of Indiana County, Pennsylvania, passed a Community Bill of Rights Ordinance that reads in part "All residents of Grant Township, along with natural communities and ecosystems within the Township, possess the right to clean air, water, and soil, which shall include the right to be free from activities which may pose potential risks to clean air, water, and soil within the Township, including the depositing of waste from oil and gas extraction". They passed this ordinance to protect their community from oil field waste water injection and fracking.

The defendant in this case is the Little Mahoning Watershed which filed a motion that asserts its right to exist and flourish.

The oil company wanting to inject waste water wants to overturn the ordinance and the oil industry has called this novel piece of legislation a left wing crazy plot but when you think about it, giving an ecosystem "rights" is no more ridiculous than labeling a corporation a person.

More local governments need to be pressured by their constituents to step up to the plate and protect the environment-an environment which extends to the trees, streams, fish and wildlife which make our lives richer. If the state or the feds don't like it- screw them-they are fascists now and the way to fight back is to make your local government represent you, your family and your community. Your democracy starts locally. Make it work. And make it work for the next seven generations.