Tell the Senate: Protect Our Clean Water and Local Property Rights

A new federal proposal, the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA) bill (S. 5653)—is being rushed through the Senate in the lame duck session, with a cloture vote (a vote to bring it to the floor of the US Senate) on Monday, November 9.

Despite the word “Affordability” being in the title, it isn’t about affordability. Instead, it is an effort by oil, mining and AI companies to eliminate government safeguards on the environment in the name of development. It is a far-reaching bill, with impacts ranging from reducing the window for landowners to 150 days to challenge a project, to forbidding judges from halting construction even when companies break the law in your own backyard.

This website is an effort to educate you about BAAJA, and, if you are interested, expressing your concerns about the bill, and potentially stopping the cloture vote.

Find My Senators & Get Scripts See What's Buried in the Bill

Step 1: Contact Your Senators

Choose your state to see both senators' phone numbers, official email portals, and a pre-written message ready to send.

Phone Script Ready
Length: ~350 characters Click 'Copy Text' to copy it to your clipboard.

What Is the BAAJA Bill?

Introduced as an "energy jobs and affordability" bill, this 400-page proposal makes major rollbacks to community safeguards.

Weaker Water Protections

Eliminates the EPA's emergency veto over toxic dumping in local waterways and quadruples fast-track wetland destruction without individual public hearings.

Courts Cannot Stop Bulldozers

Even if an agency broke the law when granting a construction permit, federal judges are legally barred from issuing an injunction to halt the physical work.

Permanent Permits

Establishes "permit durability," forbidding regulators from revoking or amending corporate permits if severe contamination or health hazards appear later.

10 Things Buried in the Bill

Direct provisions written into the legislative text that impact communities across the country.

1. Courts Barred From Halting Construction § 1110

Judges cannot stop bulldozers even if an agency illegally approved the project.

2. "Permit Durability" Forever Freeze § 1401

Agencies cannot modify permits after approval, even if new toxic contamination emerges.

3. Strips EPA Clean Water Emergency Veto § 1204

Removes the EPA's emergency safety check once an Army Corps wetland permit is issued.

4. Quadruples Wetland Infill Limits § 1204

Expands fast-track wetland filling from 0.5 acres to 2 acres with no individual public notice.

5. Water Pollution Permits Doubled to 10 Years § 1203

Industrial polluters get a decade before they can be required to upgrade for PFAS chemicals.

6. Corps Blinded to Downstream Runoff § 1204

The Army Corps is forbidden from evaluating cumulative downstream drinking water pollution.

7. Taxpayers Pay Developers Delay Damages § 1403

Corporations can sue the government for money if reviews take longer than rigid deadlines.

8. Mining Waste on Public Lands Div B

Mining companies can claim adjacent public lands for waste dumps without full reviews.

9. 150-Day Lawsuit Cutoff § 1305

Landowners have only 150 days to challenge a project, locking the courthouse doors afterward.

10. Sacred & Historic Sites Stripped of Shield Div B

Exempts high-voltage towers from evaluating visual impacts on historic and sacred lands.

Spread the Word

Short messages ready to text to friends or share on social media.

"The Senate is voting on the BAAJA bill this week. It weakens Clean Water Act protections, lets polluters fill wetlands, and stops judges from halting illegal projects. Look up your senators and call them at stopbaaja.org"

"Before the Senate votes on BAAJA, check out the facts on how it impacts clean water and local property rights. Enter your state at stopbaaja.org to get a 2-minute phone script for your senators."