By: Channing A. Martin
There’s a new sheriff in town. Donald Trump’s election as President is likely to lead to significant changes in environmental regulation for American businesses. Some changes can (and will) take place very quickly, with the stroke of a pen. These include revoking Executive Orders, such as President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, as well as agency directives and guidance documents. Other changes will require rulemaking under the Administrative Procedures Act (APA) or legislation by Congress.
As a general matter, it’s safe to assume the Trump Administration will streamline regulations for American manufacturing, promote infrastructure projects, and remove impediments to the development of pipelines, coal mining, and other fossil fuels projects. That could mean, for example, giving the green light to the Keystone Pipeline and the Dakota Access Pipeline, as well as opening up more public lands to energy exploration.
How quickly can President Trump roll back what he calls “job killing” regulations? The answer is: It depends.
