The White House is reviewing proposed rules from a host of federal agencies that would dictate how the government implements the National Environmental Policy Act, the nation’s magna carta of environmental laws.
The Office of Management and Budget received proposed interim final rules from agencies including the departments of Energy, Interior and Defense, and one final rule from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for NEPA “implementing procedures,” according to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs dashboard.
The reviews mark another step in the Trump administration’s bid to overhaul how the federal government conducts environmental reviews at a quick pace, a move that’s drawing criticism from environmental groups.
In February, the Trump White House scrapped decades’ worth of rules at the Council on Environmental Quality that governed how agencies conduct reviews under NEPA for power plants, pipelines and other energy projects. In its place, the administration offered up voluntary guidance that legal experts noted was light on details.
