“Zombie permits” are legally active but dangerously outdated approvals that allow extraction and development projects to move forward without modern oversight. Enabled by regulatory backlogs and loopholes, these permits linger long past their relevance, allowing polluters to operate indefinitely under weaker, outdated environmental standards.
On today’s episode, we examine how zombie permits function as a quiet but powerful tool of regulatory failure—shielding polluters from accountability while placing the greatest burden on frontline communities. These communities, already overexposed to fossil fuel infrastructure, are left to bear the health, environmental, and economic consequences of pollution that should have been stopped long ago.
