The Trump administration has all but stopped enforcing environmental laws
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Introduction:
The news topic “The Trump administration has all but stopped enforcing environmental laws” has drawn international attention, with various media outlets providing diverse insights, historical context, political stances, and on-the-ground developments. Below is a curated overview of how different countries and media organizations have covered this topic recently.
Quick Summary:
- Federal enforcement of major violations of environmental laws appears to have ground to a halt. The Trump administration has not filed any new cases against major polluters in its first three months. The number of minor civil and criminal enforcement cases has also significantly declined since President Donald Trump took office on January 20. The hands-off approach to environmental enforcement comes amid Trump’s repeated pledges to go easier on polluters. His administration has begun rolling back dozens of regulations; granting exemptions from federal air quality requirements to coal plants; and rewriting pollution standards for cars and trucks.“The future is grim for environmental protection,” said Gary Jonesi, a former top EPA enforcement attorney who now runs the nonprofit CREEDemocracy. “If the EPA cop is not on the beat, then people are going to be harmed.”
- Federal enforcement of major violations of environmental laws appears to have ground to a halt. A Grist review of data from the Department of Justice and EPA found that the Trump administration has not filed any new cases against major polluters in its first three months. The number of minor civil and criminal enforcement cases has also significantly declined since President Donald Trump took office on January 20. The hands-off approach to environmental enforcement comes amid Trump’s repeated pledges to go easier on polluters.
- The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is suing the Trump administration for halting New York City’s congestion pricing program. F.B.I. agents and employees have sued to block Mr. Trump from releasing the names of agents and staff members who helped investigate the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. On the first day of his second term, President Trump issued a memorandum that would halt all leasing of federal lands and waters for new wind farms pending a government review. Seventeen states and the District of Columbia sued, saying the order was outside the president’s authority and contrary to existing laws such as the Clean Air Act. The M.T.A. lawsuit argues that the administration’s actions are politically motivated, arbitrary and unlawful. The authority says congestion pricing has already been successful in reducing traffic, improving air quality and increasing ridership on public transit.
Country-by-Country Breakdown:
Original Coverage
Federal enforcement of major violations of environmental laws appears to have ground to a halt. The Trump administration has not filed any new cases against major polluters in its first three months. The number of minor civil and criminal enforcement cases has also significantly declined since President Donald Trump took office on January 20. The hands-off approach to environmental enforcement comes amid Trump’s repeated pledges to go easier on polluters. His administration has begun rolling back dozens of regulations; granting exemptions from federal air quality requirements to coal plants; and rewriting pollution standards for cars and trucks.“The future is grim for environmental protection,” said Gary Jonesi, a former top EPA enforcement attorney who now runs the nonprofit CREEDemocracy. “If the EPA cop is not on the beat, then people are going to be harmed.” Read full article
Tom Perkins
Federal enforcement of major violations of environmental laws appears to have ground to a halt. A Grist review of data from the Department of Justice and EPA found that the Trump administration has not filed any new cases against major polluters in its first three months. The number of minor civil and criminal enforcement cases has also significantly declined since President Donald Trump took office on January 20. The hands-off approach to environmental enforcement comes amid Trump’s repeated pledges to go easier on polluters. Read full article
Tracking the Lawsuits Against Trump’s Agenda
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is suing the Trump administration for halting New York City’s congestion pricing program. F.B.I. agents and employees have sued to block Mr. Trump from releasing the names of agents and staff members who helped investigate the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. On the first day of his second term, President Trump issued a memorandum that would halt all leasing of federal lands and waters for new wind farms pending a government review. Seventeen states and the District of Columbia sued, saying the order was outside the president’s authority and contrary to existing laws such as the Clean Air Act. The M.T.A. lawsuit argues that the administration’s actions are politically motivated, arbitrary and unlawful. The authority says congestion pricing has already been successful in reducing traffic, improving air quality and increasing ridership on public transit. Read full article
Trump and DOGE Are Planning Deregulation at a Massive Scale – The New York Times
The White House will soon move to rapidly repeal or freeze rules that affect health, food, workplace safety, transportation and more. At the Department of Health and Human Services, officials want to reverse a regulation that has required nursing homes to have more medical staff on duty. Powerful lobbying groups have asked the administration to eliminate a rule to protect miners from inhaling the dust of crystalline silica, a mineral that is used in concrete, smartphones and cat litter. And at the Federal Communications Commission, which regulates radio and television broadcasting and satellite communications, President Trump’s appointees published a seemingly exuberant notice asking for suggestions on which rules to get rid of. Usually, the legal process of repealing federal regulations takes years. But after chafing at that system during his first term, Mr. Trump has marshaled a strategy for a dramatic do-over designed to kill regulations swiftly and permanently. Read full article
How Trump’s Plan to Roll Back Regulations Might Affect Federal Agencies – The New York Times
Coral Davenport: The government makes — and unwinds — rules slowly. During his first term, President Trump wanted to erase hundreds of rules. But he grew frustrated when some of the rollbacks took almost the entirety of his term to complete. So this time around, Trump plans to kill rules across the more than 400 federal agencies that regulate almost every aspect of American life, from flying in airplanes to processing poultry. In today’s newsletter, I’ll explain how his plan works and which agencies it might affect. In some cases, the administration believes it can simply revoke rules outright, without following the traditional yearslong process. In others, it plans to effectively nullify rules by directing agencies to stop enforcing them while the slow, legal unwinding process plays out. We are having trouble retrieving the article content. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Read full article
Trump takes aim at city and state climate laws in executive order
Donald Trump ordered the Department of Justice to “stop the enforcement’ of state climate laws. The president called out New York and Vermont, both of which have passed “climate superfund” laws requiring major fossil fuel companies to help pay for damages from extreme weather. “These State laws and policies are fundamentally irreconcilable with my Administration’s objective to unleash American energy,” the executive order says. He also targeted the dozens of lawsuits brought by states, cities and counties against big oil in recent years, accusing the industry of intentionally covering up the climate risks of their products. The order came as Trump touted new moves to revive the coal, the dirtiest and most expensive fossil fuel. It also followed a March meeting at the White House where fossil fuel executives reportedly lobbied Trump to give them immunity from climate litigation. Read full article
Global Perspectives Summary:
Global media portray this story through varied cultural, economic, and political filters. While some focus on geopolitical ramifications, others highlight local impacts and human stories. Some nations frame the story around diplomatic tensions and international relations, while others examine domestic implications, public sentiment, or humanitarian concerns. This diversity of coverage reflects how national perspectives, media freedom, and journalistic priorities influence what the public learns about global events.
How did your country report this? Share your view in the comments.
Sources:
- Original Article
- Tom Perkins
- Tracking the Lawsuits Against Trump’s Agenda
- Trump and DOGE Are Planning Deregulation at a Massive Scale – The New York Times
- How Trump’s Plan to Roll Back Regulations Might Affect Federal Agencies – The New York Times
- Trump takes aim at city and state climate laws in executive order
Source: https://grist.org/accountability/the-trump-administration-has-all-but-stopped-enforcing-environmental-laws/