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A sweeping new executive order from President Trump would force federal agencies to eliminate key environmental regulations unless they’re reapproved annually, a move legal scholars say is likely unlawful and could endanger public health.
Kiley Bense reports for Inside Climate News.
In short:
Key quote:
“It makes no sense. It is impossible to implement. It reflects a complete lack of understanding of how government works.”
— Ari Peskoe, director of the Electricity Law Initiative at the Harvard Law School Environmental and Energy Law Program
Why this matters:
Environmental regulations are the framework that keeps air breathable, water drinkable, and communities safe from toxic pollution. Many of these rules were put in place after painful lessons: burning rivers, poisoned water supplies, asthma and cancer increases in industrial corridors. The Trump administration’s attempt to impose arbitrary expiration dates on regulations, regardless of their scientific or legal grounding, could create massive gaps in oversight just as climate-driven disasters, fossil fuel expansion, and environmental injustices intensify.
Related: EPA’s direction under Trump draws criticism from former agency head
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