The Trump administration proposed new restrictions Tuesday on state water pollution reviews for pipelines and other energy projects — a shift that officials said would “eliminate” permitting delays.
The EPA proposal would streamline and limit state and tribal authority to evaluate major projects’ water quality impacts, making it harder to block projects or impose environmental conditions on them.
The new rule would replace the current process established under the Biden administration. On a call with reporters, EPA officials blasted the Biden-era rule as inefficient and unclear, accusing some states of abusing their authority to slow down energy projects.
“When finalized, this proposed rule will increase transparency, efficiency and predictability for certifying authorities and the regulated community, better aligning the regulations with the Clean Water Act,” said Jess Kramer, assistant administrator for water.
