Trump's Environmental Impact Revealed: A 60-Day Journey Through Controversial Policies

Some parts of the Trump environmental agenda will stick, and some will not.

President Trump has introduced sweeping environmental policy changes since taking office 60 days ago. Normally, a new administration takes a year to introduce new policies and replace administrators. Trump has done it within the first two months, so it's difficult to say just how fast these changes will take to make an impact - and, for that matter, which ones will actually have an impact. Here’s an overview of the first sixty days and what is to come.

The Long and Short of It

Major Climate Change initiatives are over at the federal level
Electric Vehicle (EV) mandates and special supports are substantially gone
Environmental Justice (EJ) special policies and financial supports are gone
Water Rules are specific targets
- 2024 Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule
  - Actions pending
- 2024 PFAS CERCLA Hazardous Substance Designation
  - Requested a 60-day stay of the appeal
- 2024 PFAS Drinking Water MCLs
  - Appeal stayed until April 8
- 2024 Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI), including the mandate to remove lead service lines (LSLs) within 10 years regardless of tap sample results
  - Requested a 60-day stay of the appeal

Five Pillars to Help Power the Great American Comeback

On February 4, 2025, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the agency’s Powering the Great American Comeback Initiative, to achieve the agency’s mission while energizing the greatness of the American economy. This plan outlines the agency’s priorities.

Pillar 1: Clean Air, Land, and Water for Every American

“Every American should have access to clean air, land, and water. I will ensure the EPA is fulfilling its mission to protect human health and the environment. In his first term, President Trump advanced conservation, reduced toxic emissions in the air, and cleaned up hazardous sites, while fostering economic growth for families across the country. We remain committed to these priorities in this administration, as well as ensuring emergency response efforts are helping Americans get back on their feet in the quickest and safest way possible. We will do so while remaining good stewards of tax dollars and ensuring that every penny spent is going towards advancing this mission,” said Administrator Zeldin.

Pillar 2: Restore American Energy Dominance

“Pursuing energy independence and energy dominance will cut energy costs for everyday Americans who are simply trying to heat their homes and put gas in their cars. This will also allow our nation to stop relying on energy sources from adversaries, while lowering costs for hardworking middle-income families, farmers, and small business owners. I look forward to working with the greatest minds driving American innovation, to ensure we are producing and developing the cleanest energy on the planet,” said Administrator Zeldin.

Pillar 3: Permitting Reform, Cooperative Federalism, and Cross-Agency Partnership

“Any business that wants to invest in America should be able to do so without having to face years-long, uncertain, and costly permitting processes that deter them from doing business in our country in the first place. It will be important for the EPA to work with our partners at the state and federal levels to ensure projects are being approved and companies can invest billions of dollars into our nation. Streamlining these processes, while partnering with businesses to follow the necessary steps to safeguard our environment, will incentivize investment into our economy and create American jobs,” said Administrator Zeldin.

Pillar 4: Make the United States the Artificial Intelligence Capital of the World

“As we rapidly advance into this new age of AI, it is important that the United States lead the world in this field. Those looking to invest in and develop AI should be able to do so in the U.S., while we work to ensure data centers and related facilities can be powered and operated in a clean manner with American-made energy. Under President Trump’s leadership, I have no doubt that we will become the AI capital of the world,” said Administrator Zeldin.

Pillar 5: Protecting and Bringing Back American Auto Jobs

“Our American auto industry is hurting because of the burdensome policies of the past. Under President Trump, we will bring back American auto jobs and invest in domestic manufacturing to revitalize a quintessential American industry. We will partner with leaders to streamline and develop smart regulations that will allow for American workers to lead the great comeback of the auto industry,” said Administrator Zeldin.

31 Actions Aimed at Deregulation

On March 12, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the agency will undertake 31 historic actions in the greatest and most consequential day of deregulation in U.S. history. While accomplishing EPA's core mission of protecting the environment, the agency is committed to fulfilling President Trump's promise to unleash American energy, lower the cost of living for Americans, revitalize the American auto industry, restore the rule of law, and give power back to states to make their own decisions. 

Unleashing American Energy

Reconsideration of regulations on power plants (Clean Power Plan 2.0)
Reconsideration of regulations throttling the oil and gas industry
Reconsideration of Mercury and Air Toxics Standards that improperly targeted coal-fired power plants (MATS)
Reconsideration of mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program that imposed significant costs on the American energy supply (GHG Reporting Program)
Reconsideration of limitations, guidelines and standards (ELG) for the Steam Electric Power Generating Industry to ensure low-cost electricity while protecting water resources (Steam Electric ELG)
Reconsideration of wastewater regulations for oil and gas development to help unleash American energy (Oil and Gas ELG)
Reconsideration of Biden-Harris Administration Risk Management Program rule that made America’s oil and natural gas refineries and chemical facilities less safe (Risk Management Program Rule)

Lowering the Cost of Living for American Families

Reconsideration of light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty vehicle regulations that provided the foundation for the Biden-Harris electric vehicle mandate (Car GHG Rules)
Reconsideration of the 2009 Endangerment Finding and regulations and actions that rely on that Finding (Endangerment Finding)
Reconsideration of the technology transition rule that forces companies to use certain technologies that increase costs of food at grocery stores and semiconductor manufacturing (Technology Transition Rule)
Reconsideration of Particulate Matter National Ambient Air Quality Standards that shut down opportunities for American manufacturing and small businesses (PM 2.5 NAAQS)
Reconsideration of multiple National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for American energy and manufacturing sectors (NESHAPs)
Restructuring the Regional Haze Program that threatened the supply of affordable energy for American families (Regional Haze)
Overhauling Biden-Harris Administration’s “Social Cost of Carbon”
Redirecting enforcement resources to EPA’s core mission to relieve the economy of unnecessary bureaucratic burdens that drive up costs for American consumers (Enforcement Discretion)
Terminating Biden’s Environmental Justice and DEI arms of the agency (EJ/DEI)

Advancing Cooperative Federalism

Ending so-called “Good Neighbor Plan” which the Biden-Harris Administration used to expand federal rules to more states and sectors beyond the program’s traditional focus and led to the rejection of nearly all State Implementation Plans
Working with states and tribes to resolve massive backlog with State Implementation Plans and Tribal Implementation Plans that the Biden-Harris Administration refused to resolve (SIPs/TIPs)
Reconsideration of exceptional events rulemaking to work with states to prioritize the allowance of prescribed fires within State and Tribal Implementation Plans (Exceptional Events)
Reconstituting Science Advisory Board and Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (SAB/CASAC)
Prioritizing coal ash program to expedite state permit reviews and update coal ash regulations (CCR Rule)
Utilizing enforcement discretion to further North Carolina’s recovery from Hurricane Helene

Trump’s Environmental Agenda

Trump's environmental agenda is aggressive. Some parts of it will stick, and some will not. Certainly, it will not be as good or as bad as either political extreme predicts. Changes are coming, along with a period of uncertainty for businesses and consultants as those changes take hold.

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