Upon returning to office, President Donald Trump swiftly used executive orders to roll back numerous environmental policies implemented by the Biden administration, pledging to expand domestic oil-and-gas production and rescind green energy policies. The new administration also declared a national energy emergency to expedite fossil fuel permitting by leveraging key provisions in the Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act. 

Shareholder Steven Miano spoke with Bloomberg Law for a pair of stories analyzing how the new administration’s policies could impact environmental regulations and enforcement. Steve said, “The biggest set of issues will be a result of his promised hiring freeze, combined with scores of current government employees rushing for the door. This is a typical way to halt progress on environmental protections. Businesses may suffer because it will become more difficult to obtain permits for projects.” 

Steve also noted that President Trump’s declaration of a national energy emergency was likely to spur litigation challenging the legal basis for his order. 

“I suspect that there will be challenges to the emergency declaration itself, based in part, on arguments that there is not an energy emergency in the US,” Steve said. “There is significant development of energy in the country, including gas resources. There is also exports of energy. How that supports the emergency declaration remains to be seen.” 

To read more about Steve’s comments for Bloomberg Law, click here and here. 

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