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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 20 april 2022
Biden restores stricter environmental review of big projects

By MATTHEW DALY and health impacts into environmental justice issues
Associated Press consideration before ap- a key priority.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The proving any major project. "Communities of color, es-
Biden administration is re- "NEPA plays a critical role pecially, have relied on
storing federal regulations in keeping our communi- NEPA to make sure their
that require rigorous envi- ties and our environment voices are heard in deci-
ronmental review of ma- healthy and safe, and Don- sions that have a profound
jor infrastructure projects ald Trump's attempts to impact on their health and
such as highways, pipelines weaken NEPA were clearly their well-being," said Ro-
and oil wells — including nothing more than a hand- salie Winn, a senior attor-
likely impacts on climate out to corporate polluters,'' ney for the Environmental
change and nearby com- said Leslie Fields, the Sierra Defense Fund, which chal-
munities. The longstanding Club's national director of lenged the Trump-era rule.
reviews were scaled back policy, advocacy and le- The White House action "re-
by the Trump administra- gal affairs. establishes essential NEPA
tion in a bid to fast-track Environmental groups and safeguards and ensures
projects and create jobs. African American, Latino they will continue to pro-
A rule finalized Tuesday will Pipeline used to carry crude oil is shown at the Superior, Wis., and tribal activists had pro- tect people and commu-
terminal of Enbridge Energy, June 29, 2018.
restore key provisions of Associated Press tested the Trump-era rule nities today and in future
the National Environmental change, saying it would generations,''' she said.
Policy Act, a bedrock en- the timelines for environ- bedrock environmental worsen pollution in areas Business groups and Re-
vironmental law designed mental reviews and pub- protections under NEPA, a already reeling from oil re- publican lawmakers criti-
to ensure community safe- lic comment and allowed 1970 law that requires the fineries, chemical plants cized the rule change,
guards during reviews for federal officials to disre- government to accept and other hazardous sites. saying it would slow
a wide range of federal gard a project's role in cu- public comments and take The Biden administration down major infrastructure
proposals, including roads, mulative effects, such as environmental, economic has made addressing such developments.q
bridges and energy proj- climate change.
ects authorized in the $1 The new rule comes as the
trillion infrastructure law Supreme Court reinstated
Biden signed last fall, the a separate Trump-era rule
White House said. that curtails the power of
The White House Council states and Native Ameri-
on Environmental Quality can tribes to block pipe-
said the new rule, which lines and other energy proj-
takes effect in late May, ects that can pollute rivers,
should resolve challenges streams and other water-
created by the Trump-era ways.
policy and restore public In a decision that split the
confidence during environ- court 5-4 earlier this month,
mental reviews. the justices agreed to halt
"Restoring these basic com- a lower court judge's or-
munity safeguards will pro- der throwing out the Trump
vide regulatory certainty, rule. The decision does not
reduce conflict and help interfere with the Biden ad-
ensure that projects get ministration's plan to rewrite
built right the first time," said the Environmental Protec-
CEQ Chair Brenda Mallory. tion Agency rule. Work on
"Patching these holes in a revision has begun, but
the environmental review the administration has said
process will help projects a final rule is not expected
get built faster, be more re- until next spring. The Trump-
silient and provide greater era rule will remain in effect
benefits to people who live in the meantime.
nearby." Contrary to frequent asser-
Former President Donald tions by Trump and others
Trump overhauled the en- in his administration, Mal-
vironmental reviews in 2020 lory said a more rigorous
in a bid to accelerate proj- environmental review will
ects he said would boost actually speed up com-
the economy and provide pletion of major projects,
jobs. since they will be more
Trump made slashing gov- likely to withstand a legal
ernment regulations a challenge by environmen-
hallmark of his presidency. tal groups or states. Many
He and his administration Trump-era environmental
frequently expressed frus- decisions were reversed
tration at rules they said or delayed by courts after
unnecessarily slowed ap- findings they did not under-
proval for interstate oil and go sufficient analysis.
gas pipelines and other big Environmental groups
projects. The rule change hailed the rule change,
imposed in 2020 restricted which they said restores