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Yesterday, President Trump signed an executive order waiving environmental reviews for construction and energy projects, citing an 'economic emergency.' The order would undermine numerous laws, including the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
Nada Culver, senior policy counsel with the National Audubon Society, explained the new order: "You’re not conducting adequate environmental review; you're not receiving public comments or responding to public comments. You’re not taking into account the value of birds, wildlife, tribal interests, community impacts. All of those things are considered a burden with this language."
However, the legality of the president's latest executive order is questionable. "The president’s assertion of authority to waive the application of environmental laws in the way described seems wholly untethered from law," said Richard Lazarus, professor of environmental law at Harvard University.
The administration’s actions would likely disproportionately harm communities of color, which are far more likely to be impacted by pollution, ecological hazards, and climate disasters as a result of decades of systemic environmental racism and injustice.
The president's efforts to undermine NEPA pre-date the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic; analysis found that 94 percent of public comments opposed those attempts to roll back NEPA enforcement.
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This order will almost certainly increase environmental injustice across America.”
