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Despite the pandemic, the Trump administration is continuing to advance rollbacks of environmental policies. The Center for Western Priorities updated its ongoing tracker, finding 76 policies Interior is seeking to implement, including efforts to expand fossil fuel development on public lands and further weaken protections for wildlife.
Currently, the White House Office of Management and Budget is reviewing seven controversial Interior Department proposed and final rules, which may soon be published in the Federal Register. Within the last two weeks, OMB has held meetings with executives from the American Petroleum Institute, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, Shell, BP, Occidental Petroleum, and the Independent Petroleum Association of America on a proposal to reopen loopholes allowing oil and gas companies to skirt royalty payments to taxpayers on publicly-owned oil and gas.
As the country continues to fight the coronavirus pandemic, organizations representing the nation’s states, cities, and counties have called for a formal pause on all active comment periods, stating they are unable to provide thoughtful input. Yet, the administration continues to move forward with rulemakings and announce new public comment periods.
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