With an eye on the November elections, top Democrats are ramping up criticism of President Donald Trump’s deregulatory environmental agenda, including his move Wednesday to weaken a bedrock environmental law from the 1970s.
At a UPS warehouse in Atlanta, the president trumpeted changes to the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires that federal agencies analyze the environmental impact of major projects, such as chemical plants, pipelines, mines, highways and dredging. It also established the White House’s Council on Environmental Quality, which released the new NEPA rule.
“Today’s action is part of my administration’s fierce commitment to slashing the web of needless bureaucracy that was holding back our citizens,” Trump said, telling the audience the rule would make it easier to build and use highways. “I’ve been wanting to do this since day one.” Continue reading.