Trump Issues Orders that Undercut NEPA and Jeopardize Wildlife

Today, President Trump signed an executive order that would allow certain federal projects to secure approval without complying with long-standing environmental laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act.  Under the guise of helping the economy to recover from the COVID-19 emergency, this order would speed up approvals scores of damaging projects, including pipelines, mines, highways and fossil fuel projects with no regard to their environmental impacts or the wishes of affected communities.

During the ongoing global pandemic, this executive order is the latest deregulatory effort from an administration that has already revoked more than 100 environmental and human health regulations. Today’s order follows on the heels of the executive order signed on May 19, that directed agencies to identify deregulatory actions to spur economic growth. 

Meanwhile, the White House Council on Environmental Quality has proposed sweeping and permanent proposed changes weakening the National Environmental Policy Act, which are under review by the Office of Management and Budget and could be finalized within weeks.

Jamie Rappaport Clark, president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife, issued the following statement: 

“The Trump administration is unrelenting in its focus on dismantling environmental protections. These laws protect the American public’s health and well-being, as well as our nation’s public lands and the imperiled wildlife that depend upon them. Fast-tracking directives on infrastructure is dangerous and reckless. 

“There is a need to invest in sustainable and green infrastructure projects across America to provide needed stimulus benefits to people hard hit by the COVID-19 crisis, but shortcutting bedrock environmental laws will only harm the environment and at-risk communities and cause lasting irrevocable damage. 

“Instead of meaningful progress through thoughtful planning that takes the public and wildlife into account, President Trump continues to push for reckless development. Sadly, the communities that will be most affected by the environmental impacts of unchecked infrastructure projects are our nation’s most vulnerable. At this critical point in our history, it appears the president is completely tone deaf and intent on disregarding the well-being of marginalized communities of color. We will never stop fighting for wildlife and for American voices to be heard.”