U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., joined a coalition of lawmakers to introduce legislation last week aimed at forcing the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to more closely assess the impact of natural gas pipelines on climate change and environmental justice communities.

The FERC Greenhouse Gas and Environmental Justice Policy Act of 2025 would amend the Natural Gas Act to require FERC to determine if a proposed pipeline's effects on climate and environmental justice communities are significant, if they can be mitigated, and if the project ensures energy reliability and affordability. 

The legislators’ latest move aims to codify the approach laid out in a 2022 draft FERC policy statement that was later terminated.

Duckworth, a member of the Senate Environmental Justice Caucus, emphasized the need to protect vulnerable families who often bear the brunt of climate crisis. 

"As extreme weather events become more frequent, we can't afford to ignore the climate crisis and the harm it's inflicting on families across our country," Duckworth said. 

"We have a responsibility to confront the environmental injustices that far too often fall on low-income communities and communities of colour," he added.

Supporting the proposed legislation, Durbin echoed the urgency, stating that the “climate impacts of new natural gas pipelines” must be evaluated before building them."

Reps. Sean Casten, D-Ill., and Jennifer McClellan, D-Va., introduced the measure in the House, with McClellan stressing that new projects must consider their "long-term impacts on surrounding communities and our environment."

The legislation is also supported by other legislators, including Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., Edward Markey, D-Mass., and Cory Booker, D-N.J. Environmental groups, including the Natural Resources Defense Council and Sierra Club, endorse the bill, which WE ACT for Environmental Justice called a "critical step forward" for accountability.