Reversing environmental rules

May 6th, 2020 - during the Covid-19 pandemic

There is a great, and slightly depressing, piece in The New York Times about the current administration reversing environmental rules. (The link to the piece is below.)

SPOILER ALERT: It is an analysis by The New York Times, based on research from Harvard Law School, Columbia Law School and other sources. So, if you think that these institutions represent Fake News and Alarmist Scaremongers, STOP READING RIGHT NOW, and return to the safety of Alternative Facts.
If not, please be free to read on.

Unless you have been in a politically induced coma for the past few years, you may already know that the current administration has weakened limits on carbon dioxide emissions, and rolled back rules governing clean air, water and toxic chemicals.

Apparently they have been very busy during the recent weeks finalising some major things, while the country has been fighting the pandemic.

Well, at least they have had something else to think about than this nasty coronavirus which refuses to go away.

Although there also seems to be another reason for the current rush; elections are coming, and “Further delays could leave the new rules vulnerable to reversal under the Congressional Review Act if Democrats are able to retake Congress and the White House in November.” I don’t know the details of the Congressional Review Act, but it sure sounds like Congress can reverse the reversals within a certain time frame.

I’ll shut up in a minute and let you get on with the piece, the link is below. But just one more thing before I go: the bulk of the rollbacks have been carried out by the Environmental Protection Agency. It sure seems like the administration is trying to protect the environment from burdensome and unnecessary rules. Slightly Orwellian…

The Trump Administration Is Reversing Nearly 100 Environmental Rules. Here’s the Full List.