Trump moves to roll back over two dozen US air, water regulations
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The barrage of regulatory rollbacks aims to carry out President Donald Trump’s energy dominance agenda.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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WASHINGTON – The Trump administration announced a wave of regulatory rollbacks on March 12, including a repeal of Biden-era emission limits on power plants and automobiles, as well as reduced protections for waterways.
The announcements from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) align with US President Donald Trump’s vows to slash regulations to boost industries from coal to manufacturing and ramp up oil and mineral production. But they are also destined to weaken bedrock environmental rules imposed by past presidencies to protect air and water quality and fight climate change.
“Today is the most consequential day of deregulation in American history,” EPA administrator Lee Zeldin said in a video message posted on X.
In total, his agency announced more than 30 deregulatory measures in a dizzying succession of press releases.
Mr Zeldin started the day by announcing he would narrow the definition of waterways that receive protection under the Clean Water Act – a move that could ease limits on runoff pollution from agriculture, mining, and petrochemicals.
The agency later said it would review the Biden-era clean power plant rule that seeks to reduce carbon emissions from power plants
The power and transport industries together make up around half of US greenhouse gas emissions and were vital targets in former President Joe Biden’s efforts to slow climate change.
The agency also said it will take steps to undo a scientific finding from 2009 that greenhouse gas emissions endanger public health, a provision that forms the bedrock of the EPA’s greenhouse gas regulations so far.
The so-called “endangerment finding” came as a result of a Supreme Court ruling in the 2007 Massachusetts versus EPA case that greenhouse gases are covered by the Clean Air Act.
The EPA under former President Barack Obama finalised the finding in 2009, and the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act – Mr Biden’s signature climate law – codified language deeming greenhouse gases are air pollutants.
Mr Obama’s EPA administrator Gina McCarthy said March 12 was “the most disastrous day in EPA history”.
Environmental groups said they would fight the rollback.
“This move won’t stand up in court. We’re going to fight it every step of the way,” said Mr Jason Rylander, legal director at the Centre for Biological Diversity’s Climate Law Institute.
Other environmental groups slammed Mr Trump’s broader deregulation agenda.
“EPA administrator Lee Zeldin is driving a dagger straight into the heart of public health,” said Mr Abel Russ, a director at the Environmental Integrity Project.
Industry groups expressed support for the announcements.
“Voters sent a clear message in support of affordable, reliable and secure American energy, and the Trump administration is answering the call,” said Mr Mike Sommers, president of the American Petroleum Institute.
The National Mining Association, which represents some coal miners, applauded the rollback of the clean power plant rule, saying it was “long overdue” as data centres and artificial intelligence increased electricity demand.
Decades of precedent
The Trump administration plans to roll back other air and water regulations that have been in place for decades for the power industry.
The EPA, for example, said it will reconsider mercury and air toxics rules updated during Mr Biden’s term in office that it said were designed to target coal-fired power plants.
It also said it plans to revisit standards set under the Biden administration to reduce soot and air particulate matter.
Reuters had reported that review earlier in the day.
The EPA also announced measures that would dial back regulations for the oil and gas industry, including required reporting of methane emissions from oil and gas infrastructure.
It would also consider allowing the reuse of drilling wastewater, potentially for agriculture and industry. REUTERS
