CircleCI Docker build is not passing env vars through - docker

Question

I'm using the ecr orb to build and push my image to the registry however, the circleci env vars are not available in the build process for some reason.
Here's my config.yml
( i've commented out some of the steps to troubleshoot )
version: 2.1
orbs:
aws-ecr: circleci/aws-ecr#3.1.0
aws-ecs: circleci/aws-ecs#0.0.8
jobs:
build:
docker:
- image: circleci/python:3.7
steps:
- checkout
- restore_cache:
keys:
- cache-{{ checksum "Pipfile.lock" }}
- cache-
- run:
name: Install dependencies
command: pipenv sync --dev
- save_cache:
key: cache-{{ checksum "Pipfile.lock" }}
paths:
- ~/.local
- ~/.cache
- run:
name: 'Lint Flake8'
command: pipenv run flake8
# - run:
# name: 'Test'
# command: |
# ENVIRONMENT=development pipenv run python src/manage.py test --noinput
workflows:
build-and-deploy:
jobs:
- build
- aws-ecr/build_and_push_image:
account-url: AWS_ECR_ACCOUNT_URL
aws-access-key-id: AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID
aws-secret-access-key: AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY
repo: "dev-portal"
region: AWS_DEFAULT_REGION
tag: "${CIRCLE_SHA1}"
requires:
- build
filters:
branches:
only: circleci/aws-ecs-deploy
# - aws-ecs/deploy-service-update:
# requires:
# - aws-ecr/build_and_push_image
# filters:
# branches:
# only: circleci/aws-ecs-deploy
# aws-region: AWS_DEFAULT_REGION
# family: "${AWS_RESOURCE_NAME_PREFIX}-service"
# cluster-name: "${AWS_RESOURCE_NAME_PREFIX}-cluster"
# container-image-name-updates: "container=${AWS_RESOURCE_NAME_PREFIX}-service,image-and-tag=${AWS_ACCOUNT_ID}.dkr.ecr.${AWS_DEFAULT_REGION}.amazonaws.com/nginx-portal:${CIRCLE_SHA1}"
# verify-revision-is-deployed: true
# post-steps:
# - run:
# name: Test the deployment
# command: |
# TARGET_GROUP_ARN=$(aws ecs describe-services --cluster ${AWS_RESOURCE_NAME_PREFIX}-cluster --services ${AWS_RESOURCE_NAME_PREFIX}-service | jq -r '.services[0].loadBalancers[0].targetGroupArn')
# ELB_ARN=$(aws elbv2 describe-target-groups --target-group-arns $TARGET_GROUP_ARN | jq -r '.TargetGroups[0].LoadBalancerArns[0]')
# ELB_DNS_NAME=$(aws elbv2 describe-load-balancers --load-balancer-arns $ELB_ARN | jq -r '.LoadBalancers[0].DNSName')
What do i not understand about the orbs context / circleci's env vars?
Thanks y'all!