Green Groups Challenge Trump Rollback Of Bedrock Environmental Law

Trump Rollback
Trump Rollback

The Trump Administration faces lawsuit from the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) on behalf of 17 environmental groups after it rewrites the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) two weeks ago.

The National Environmental Policy Act has been in place for over 50 years and is like a bedrock law that is designed to at least weigh the environmental and community effects before the construction of roads, pipelines, oil and gas drilling are permitted.

However, the Trump Administration is now calling NEPA “the single biggest obstacle” to major developmental projects.

The government considers that gutting NEPA will open doors to more industry involvement. The White House has even left little to no time after its rollback of NEPA to encourage public comments on the same.

SELC writes, “While the federal government has the ability to change policies, rules and regulations, it must follow the law, not cut corners, when it does so.”

The NEPA also often called the “magna carta” of environmental laws requires a thorough review of each project before it is allowed. Cutting down on these reviews can impact the environment in worse ways than known.

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