Clean Water Rule: Trump WOTUS Rewrite 'Could Get To Be Very, Very Messy'
"If President Trump tries to overhaul the contentious Clean Water Rule, he may find himself in much the same legal quagmire as his predecessor."
Source: Greenwire, 03/08/2017
Environmental Politics
"States Attack U.S. Endangered Species Act Rules"
"More than a dozen state attorneys general are asking Pres. Donald Trump to throw out recent federal rules regulating the environment for endangered or threatened plants and animals. The states claim the rules, which enlarge the definition of species habitat, give the federal government excessive power over state and private lands."
Source: Scientific American, 03/08/2017
"E.P.A. Head Stacks Agency With Climate Change Skeptics"
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, "a former Oklahoma attorney general who built a career out of suing the agency he now leads, has moved to stock the top offices of the agency with like-minded conservatives — many of them skeptics of climate change and all of them intent on rolling back environmental regulations that they see as overly intrusive and harmful to business."
Source: NY Times, 03/08/2017
"GOP Chairman Seeks $50M To Transfer Federal Land"
"The chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee is asking budget writers to set aside $50 million to account for the costs to transfer federal land to state or local governments."
Source: The Hill, 03/07/2017
"NOAA: Lawmakers Likely To Fight Proposed Budget Cuts"
"For years, the Obama administration proposed cuts to a Pacific salmon recovery program — and for years, Congress ignored the request and fully funded the program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration."
Source: Greenwire, 03/07/2017
Get Wise on Water Rule
Wondering what WOTUS is? Or how the Clean Water Rule relates to the Clean Water Act and to the Section 404 permitting program meant to prevent the destruction of U.S. wetlands? Our Beat Basics column explains the history and background of the rule to help you cover White House, EPA and court action likely ahead.
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Draining a Different Kind of Swamp
As the Trump administration last week began its rollback of the Clean Water Rule, reporters are likely to see many more stories about wetlands permitting — especially on the local level. The latest TipSheet walks you through the Section 404 permitting maze and helps you find out what's happening in your locale and state.
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"Top Trump Advisers Are Split on Paris Agreement on Climate Change"
"The White House is fiercely divided over President Trump’s campaign promise to 'cancel' the Paris agreement, the 2015 accord that binds nearly every country to curb global warming, with more moderate voices maintaining that he should stick with the agreement despite his campaign pledge."
Source: NY Times, 03/06/2017
"Trump Got Nearly $1 Million in Energy-Efficiency Subsidies in 2012"
"The Trump White House has wasted no time in targeting pro-climate policies, freezing energy-efficiency standards finalized during the last days of the Obama administration. Its “America First Energy Plan” makes no mention of renewable energy or energy efficiency, and it is focused on fossil fuels. But in 2012, Donald J. Trump, the businessman, played a different tune."
Source: NY Times, 03/06/2017
"Climate, Water Safety Programs Slashed In EPA Budget Proposal"
"The Trump administration would slash programs aimed at slowing climate change and improving water safety and air quality, while eliminating thousands of jobs, according to a draft of the Environmental Protection Agency budget proposal obtained by The Associated Press."
Source: AP, 03/06/2017
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