Posted on 06/05/2020 12:43:09 PM PDT by BeauBo
Citing the "national emergency" spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic's economic impact, President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that directs federal agencies to bypass environmental laws to expedite infrastructure projects, including those on federal lands, as a stimulus.
Legal challenges are expected to follow...
The directive, which Trump issued after 6:00 PM on June 4, is intended to speed up federal approvals for transportation, energy and other projects to boost job growth and related investment.
Also on June 4, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed to extend to all federal clean air rules a similar change to its mercury-emissions regulation finalized in April that reduces reliance on "co-benefits" of cuts in other air pollutants to support the mandate, particularly compliance costs...
Related to the Trump emergency order, "agencies should take all reasonable measures to speed infrastructure investments and to speed other actions in addition to such investments that will strengthen the economy and return Americans to work, while providing appropriate protection for public health and safety, natural resources, and the environment, as required by law," the directive said...
The new emergency order would also accelerate civil works projects overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and instruct the Interior, Agriculture and Defense departments to use their authority to speed up projects on federal lands. Obsevers don't see indication of whether the order also would expedite Interior Dept. approvals of wind energy projects, particularly offshore, which have not been favored by Trump.
The order directs chiefs of the U.S. Transportation Dept. and U.S. Army civil works units, among other agencies, to provide a list of expedited projects by July 4 to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and to White House economic and environmental advisors, with work progress updates every 30 days "for the duration of the national emergency."
(Excerpt) Read more at enr.com ...
Maybe this is prep for a big infrastructure spending bill, as part of the COVID-19 spending festival.
yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
These idiotic “environmental impact” studies are stupid, useless, and often used to block projects just because some libtard doesn’t like it.
Hey Nutty Nan and Cryin’ Chuck, the POTUS knows how to play these games too.
There’s a lot of pockets that aren’t going lined with this. LOL
And here is the difference between Democrats and Americans.
Democrats see emergency powers as the opportunity to help the Democrat Party.
Americans see emergency powers as a way to help the country.
This is huuuuge.
Oh the leftists will really love him now.
“He’s gonna kill the planet. Let’s go riot.”
l8r
...POTUS knows how to play these games...
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You might say Donald Trump never lets a good crisis go to waste.
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