Tracking Biden’s environmental actions
As Biden unwinds dozens of Trump’s energy and environmental policies, he’s forging his own.
policies
24
Added
22
Proposed
environmental policies
42
Overturned
71
Targeted
124
Not targeted
In the scorching first summer of Joe Biden’s presidency, the nation has grappled with deadly heat waves, raging wildfires, deepening drought — and calls from the president’s allies for more urgent action to combat climate change.
Even as he has faced criticism for not moving quickly or boldly enough to reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, create jobs in a greener economy and alleviate pollution impacting poor and minority communities, Biden has continued to pursue swaths of his climate agenda.
Beginning from his first day in office, Biden has moved quickly to undo the environmental track record of his predecessor, and to center climate action as a key priority. His administration already has begun to transform the nation’s energy and environmental landscape, according to a Washington Post analysis, by overturning dozens of Donald Trump’s policies and enacting a growing list of his own.
Latest actions
Aug. 30
Scaling back federal protections for waterways
A federal judge in Arizona threw out a Trump-era rule that scaled back federal protections for streams, wetlands and other waterways. Read more »
Aug. 19
Establishing climate guidelines for federal coal leasing
The Bureau of Land Management said it would seek public comment on how to assess “the potential environmental, social and cultural impacts of the coal program” it operates. Read more »
Withdrawing manufactured housing energy efficiency rule
The Biden administration revived a proposal to impose energy conservation standards on manufactured housing that were withdrawn under Trump. It is unclear if the new standards will be as stringent as those in the Obama-era proposed rule. Read more »
The Post is tracking key U.S. environmental policy shifts, following the successes and failures of a president who has vowed “a whole-of-government approach to put climate change at the center of our domestic, national security and foreign policy.”
From pausing new oil and gas leasing on public lands and waters to rejoining the Paris agreement, Biden has elevated the issue of climate change across the U.S. government and tried to accelerate the nation’s shift away from fossil fuels. He has pledged that the United States would cut its greenhouse gas emissions between 50 and 52 percent by the end of the decade compared with 2005 levels, a commitment that will require major changes in the ways Americans live, work and travel.
Still, much of Biden’s environmental wish list remains unfinished, and some of his goals face stiff political head winds. Congressional Republicans, for instance, have expressed skepticism about the president’s infrastructure plan, which includes generous funding for electric vehicles, renewable projects and energy efficiency.
At times, however, Biden has faced off against environmentalists — especially in court. His Justice Department has opposed shutting down the Dakota Access pipeline while the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reassesses its analysis of the project, and has defended the Trump administration’s environmental review of a major drilling project on the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska.
Air pollution and greenhouse gases
The Trump administration enacted at least 64 policies weakening or overturning regulations aimed at curbing air pollution and greenhouse-gas emissions fueling global warming. Biden has said he will reverse that legacy and promote a low-carbon future instead. By signing a document to rejoin the Paris climate agreement on his first day in office, the new president reversed one of his predecessor’s signature policies and signaled a different path.
New 18
Easy to overturn 23
Medium 31
Difficult 11
Policy put in place or proposed by the Biden administration
Can be reversed by a simple act, such as signing an executive order or new directive
Can be reversed only through more extensive action, such as rewriting a regulation or court ruling
Can only be reversed through a lengthy regulatory process, act of Congress or court ruling
President Biden signed an executive order calling for half of all new cars and light trucks sold in 2030 to be electric or plug-in hybrids. Read more »
President Biden pledged the U.S. would cut its greenhouse gas emissions by between 50 and 52 percent, compared to 2005 levels, by the end of the decade. Read more »
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on April 16, 2021 signed Secretarial Order 3399, establishing a climate task force and instructing the department to prioritize environmental justice concerns, tribal rights and scientific transparency in decisions through the National Environmental Policy Act. Read more »
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin established the Defense Climate Working Group to incorporate climate risk analysis into all of its operations and assess how it can curb the department’s greenhouse gas emissions. Read more »
President Biden instructed the Treasury Secretary to assess climate risk and work with other agencies to align U.S. spending, including foreign aid, with the nation’s climate goals. Read more »
President Biden instructed the Agriculture Secretary to develop a plan within 90 day to spur ‘climate-smart’ farming and forestry strategies. Read more »
President Biden mandated buying clean and zero-emission vehicles for the federal fleet Read more »
President Biden ordered national security agencies to report within 90 days on integrating climate change into their work Read more »
The Bureau of Land Management said it would seek public comment on how to assess “the potential environmental, social and cultural impacts of the coal program” it operates. Read more »
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration notified the pipeline industry that they’re legally required to fix leaks of methane, a potent greenhous gas, in their pipelines and pipeline facilities under the Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety (PIPES) Act. Companies must update their maintenance and operations plans as a result. Read more »
Biden officials announced the government will develop new Energy Star ratings for electric heat pumps and invest $10 million in research and deployment of heat pump technology. Read more »
Biden officials announced the government will develop the first “building performance standards” for federal facilities. Read more »
President Biden promised to double the annual public climate financing development aid the U.S. gives to developing countries by 2024. Read more »
The National Flood Insurance Program announced that as of Oct. 1 it would institute a more equitable pricing system for policies that would take climate risk into account. Read more »
President Biden proposed spending $35 billion on breakthrough climate technology and $15 billion on climate-related demonstrated projects. Read more »
President Biden proposed an “Energy Efficiency and Clean Electricity Standard” that would require utilities to get a percentage of their power from carbon-free sources. Read more »
The Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management signed off on the final environmental review for Vineyard Wind, an 800-megawatt offshore wind project. Read more »
EPA proposed phasing down the production and import of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), potent greenhouse gases used in refrigeration and air conditioning, 85 percent by 2036. Read more »
EPA Administrator Michael Regan announced the agency would resume funding the U.N. Foundation’s Clean Cooking Alliance, after Trump officials cut a $1.1 million grant to the group in 2017. Read more »
The EPA finalized a list of more climate-friendly refrigerants that could substitute for hydrofluorocarbons, potent greenhouse gases. Read more »
President Biden rejoined the 2015 Paris accord, from which Donald Trump had withdrawn, on his first day in office. Read more »
President Biden ordered the Secretary of State to submit the Kigali Amendment, a treaty phasing out hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), for Senate ratification. Read more »
The D.C. Circuit vacated a Trump rule relaxing Obama-era greenhouse gas emissions limits on power plants. Read more »
The Biden administration said it would issue guidance in the fall that would supercede a Trump-era policy directing agencies to scale back their climate analysis in environmental reviews. Read more »
Transportation Department and Environmental Protection Agency officials have both taken steps to restore California’s waiver to regulate air pollution under the Clean Air Act. Read more »
The Biden administration withdrew a plantwide permit for Limetree Bay refinery, whose operations disproportionately affect poor communities on St. Croix. The Trump administration, which issued the permit in December 2020, based the pollution levels on the operations of an old refinery that processed more than twice as much oil. Read more »
Instructs Interior Department scientists to use all climate models, including ones suggesting fewer impacts. Read more »
The BIden administration is reexamining a Trump proposed rule that would allow manufacturers to use alternative standards to test small-motor efficiency. Read more »
The Energy Department has delayed updating 25 energy-efficiency rules Read more »
Rescinded policy curbing pollutants power plants can emit during startup, shutdown and malfunctions. Read more »
The Biden administration reestablished the panel that formulates the social cost of carbon, an estimate for the damage caused by climate change for federal cost-benefit analyses. As an interim measure, it placed the figure at $51 per ton of carbon dioxide released into the air. Read more »
Would grant coal ash disposal permits without review to some state and tribal sites. Read more »
Changing testing for heavy-duty vehicles and engines that could lead to higher CO2 emissions. Read more »
Proposed reversing a requirement that plant owners get a pollution permit for expanded operations. Read more »
Weakened an Obama-era rule meant to improve air quality in national parks and wilderness areas. Read more »
Lifted the summertime ban on a gasoline-ethanol blend linked to smog formation. Read more »
Allowed states, tribes and localities more flexibility in complying with limits on smog-forming ozone. Read more »
Proposal would change how anticipated pollution from a new facility is calculated. Read more »
Dismantled the federal advisory panel for the National Climate Assessment. Read more »
Reversed an Obama-era policy that restricted U.S. financing of coal-fired power plants abroad. Read more »
Stopped payments to the Green Climate Fund, which helps poor nations address climate change. Read more »
Trump stalled a rule to limit landfill methane emissions. Biden restored it soon after a federal court ruling throwing out the Trump action. Read more »
Biden officials rescinded a rule that restricted which public health benefits could be factored into new air rules. Read more »
The Trump administration reversed an Obama-era moratorium on federal coal leasing through Secretarial Order 3348, on March 29, 2017. The Biden administration rescinded that order, and is weighing whether to reimpose the moratorium on coal leasing. Read more »
On April 5, 2021, a federal court vacated the Trump-era policy that curbs CO2 only in sectors that account for at least 3 percent of U.S. emissions. Read more »
The Biden administration revived a proposal to impose energy conservation standards on manufactured housing that were withdrawn under Trump. It is unclear if the new standards will be as stringent as those in the Obama-era proposed rule. Read more »
The Biden administration is reconsidering a Trump proposal to withdraw test procedures for conventional cooking tops Read more »
On April 1, 2021, the Biden administration proposed overhauling a Trump rule that made it more difficult to impose stricter energy-efficiency rules. Read more »
The Energy Department proposed a rule making lightbulbs more efficient, reversing a Trump policy. The proposal would affect bulbs used in 2 billion sockets in the U.S., from track lighting to candle-shaped bulbs intalled in wall sconces. Read more »
Scaled back measures oil and gas producers have to take to control air pollution. Read more »
The Biden administration is reconsidering a rule exempting some clothes washers and dryers from current energy- and water-efficiency standards. Read more »
The Biden administration is reconsidering a rule that grants manufacturers a waiver from uniform energy-efficiency test procedures. Read more »
The Biden administration indicated in court on March 10 it will not enforce this rule, which prevents environmental, social and government funds from being the default in 401(k) investments. Read more »
Loosened a Clinton-era rule aimed at limiting toxic emissions from major emitters. Read more »
Removed the EPA Environmental Appeals Board’s authority to consider environmental justice challenges related to clean air, clean water or waste-permit decisions. Read more »
The Biden administration is reviewing a Trump rule requiring a comparative analysis of the relative benefits and burdens of potential energy conservation standards for appliances. Read more »
The Biden administration has proposed tightening fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas standards for the nation’s cars, pickup trucks and SUVs that were weakened by Trump, to reach an average of roughly 52 miles per gallon by 2026. Read more »
Scaled back limits on methane emissions from drilling on public lands. Read more »
Withdrew the legal justification for a 2012 rule limiting mercury emissions from power plants. Read more »
Withdrew and delayed a rule to inform consumers about fuel-efficient replacement tires. Read more »
The Biden administration indicated in court on March 10 that it will not enforce this rule, which makes it more difficult to hold proxy and shareholder votes on environmental, social and governance grounds. Read more »
Reduced reporting requirements for hazardous pollutants issuing from power plants. Read more »
Removed requirements to control methane across the oil and gas industry. Read more »
Indefinitely delayed adding 1-bromopropane (1-BP), a solvent linked to neurological damage, to the list of regulated hazardous air pollutants. Read more »
Relaxed air pollution regulations for a handful of power plants that burn coal mining waste Read more »
Approval of Jordan Cove Energy Project, a natural gas export terminal. Read more »
Withdrew rule requiring the detection and repair of hydroflourocarbon leaks from major appliances. Read more »
Provided complete penalty forgiveness for firms that disclose and self-correct air violations. Read more »
Rescinded the Clean Fuels Grant Program, which was to help areas cut pollution and deploy clean-fuel buses. Read more »
Declined to reduce cross-state air pollution involving soot and smog contributors. Read more »
Denied petitions from several states to regulate air pollution coming from upwind states. Read more »
Reversed stricter emission standards for large, publicly owned sewage treatment plants. Read more »
Biden signed a Congressional Review Act resolution, which passed both chambers, restoring a 2016 rule requiring oil and gas companies detect methane leaks and repair then. Read more »
The Biden administration proposed reversing Trump’s move to withdraw efficiency standards for residential furnaces, commercial water heaters and gas appliances. Read more »
The Biden administration has proposed revoking a rule that relaxed efficiency standards for showerheads, letting them use unlimited amounts of water Read more »
The BIden administration is reconsidering a rule that weakened energy-efficiency standards for dishwashers. Read more »
Revised a program to make it easier for new power plants to avoid emissions regulations. Read more »
Weakened a 2016 rule tightening air pollution limits on offshore operations. Read more »
Made changes to a program aimed at curbing emissions from new or modified industrial facilities. Read more »
The rule streamlines pre-construction approval for minor sources of pollution on Indian Country. Read more »
Exempted large animal farms from having to report risks to state and local officials. Read more »
Revised commercial and industrial incineration standards to address industry concerns. Read more »
Allows petroleum refineries more easily to flare gas and conduct other activities. Read more »
New 18
Policy put in place or proposed by the Biden administration
President Biden signed an executive order calling for half of all new cars and light trucks sold in 2030 to be electric or plug-in hybrids. Read more »
President Biden pledged the U.S. would cut its greenhouse gas emissions by between 50 and 52 percent, compared to 2005 levels, by the end of the decade. Read more »
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on April 16, 2021 signed Secretarial Order 3399, establishing a climate task force and instructing the department to prioritize environmental justice concerns, tribal rights and scientific transparency in decisions through the National Environmental Policy Act. Read more »
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin established the Defense Climate Working Group to incorporate climate risk analysis into all of its operations and assess how it can curb the department’s greenhouse gas emissions. Read more »
President Biden instructed the Treasury Secretary to assess climate risk and work with other agencies to align U.S. spending, including foreign aid, with the nation’s climate goals. Read more »
President Biden instructed the Agriculture Secretary to develop a plan within 90 day to spur ‘climate-smart’ farming and forestry strategies. Read more »
President Biden mandated buying clean and zero-emission vehicles for the federal fleet Read more »
President Biden ordered national security agencies to report within 90 days on integrating climate change into their work Read more »
The Bureau of Land Management said it would seek public comment on how to assess “the potential environmental, social and cultural impacts of the coal program” it operates. Read more »
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration notified the pipeline industry that they’re legally required to fix leaks of methane, a potent greenhous gas, in their pipelines and pipeline facilities under the Protecting our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety (PIPES) Act. Companies must update their maintenance and operations plans as a result. Read more »
Biden officials announced the government will develop new Energy Star ratings for electric heat pumps and invest $10 million in research and deployment of heat pump technology. Read more »
Biden officials announced the government will develop the first “building performance standards” for federal facilities. Read more »
President Biden promised to double the annual public climate financing development aid the U.S. gives to developing countries by 2024. Read more »
The National Flood Insurance Program announced that as of Oct. 1 it would institute a more equitable pricing system for policies that would take climate risk into account. Read more »
President Biden proposed spending $35 billion on breakthrough climate technology and $15 billion on climate-related demonstrated projects. Read more »
President Biden proposed an “Energy Efficiency and Clean Electricity Standard” that would require utilities to get a percentage of their power from carbon-free sources. Read more »
The Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management signed off on the final environmental review for Vineyard Wind, an 800-megawatt offshore wind project. Read more »
EPA proposed phasing down the production and import of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), potent greenhouse gases used in refrigeration and air conditioning, 85 percent by 2036. Read more »
Easy to overturn 23
Can be reversed by a simple act, such as signing an executive order or new directive
EPA Administrator Michael Regan announced the agency would resume funding the U.N. Foundation’s Clean Cooking Alliance, after Trump officials cut a $1.1 million grant to the group in 2017. Read more »
The EPA finalized a list of more climate-friendly refrigerants that could substitute for hydrofluorocarbons, potent greenhouse gases. Read more »
President Biden rejoined the 2015 Paris accord, from which Donald Trump had withdrawn, on his first day in office. Read more »
President Biden ordered the Secretary of State to submit the Kigali Amendment, a treaty phasing out hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), for Senate ratification. Read more »
The D.C. Circuit vacated a Trump rule relaxing Obama-era greenhouse gas emissions limits on power plants. Read more »
The Biden administration said it would issue guidance in the fall that would supercede a Trump-era policy directing agencies to scale back their climate analysis in environmental reviews. Read more »
Transportation Department and Environmental Protection Agency officials have both taken steps to restore California’s waiver to regulate air pollution under the Clean Air Act. Read more »
The Biden administration withdrew a plantwide permit for Limetree Bay refinery, whose operations disproportionately affect poor communities on St. Croix. The Trump administration, which issued the permit in December 2020, based the pollution levels on the operations of an old refinery that processed more than twice as much oil. Read more »
Instructs Interior Department scientists to use all climate models, including ones suggesting fewer impacts. Read more »
The BIden administration is reexamining a Trump proposed rule that would allow manufacturers to use alternative standards to test small-motor efficiency. Read more »
The Energy Department has delayed updating 25 energy-efficiency rules Read more »
Rescinded policy curbing pollutants power plants can emit during startup, shutdown and malfunctions. Read more »
The Biden administration reestablished the panel that formulates the social cost of carbon, an estimate for the damage caused by climate change for federal cost-benefit analyses. As an interim measure, it placed the figure at $51 per ton of carbon dioxide released into the air. Read more »
Would grant coal ash disposal permits without review to some state and tribal sites. Read more »
Changing testing for heavy-duty vehicles and engines that could lead to higher CO2 emissions. Read more »
Proposed reversing a requirement that plant owners get a pollution permit for expanded operations. Read more »
Weakened an Obama-era rule meant to improve air quality in national parks and wilderness areas. Read more »
Lifted the summertime ban on a gasoline-ethanol blend linked to smog formation. Read more »
Allowed states, tribes and localities more flexibility in complying with limits on smog-forming ozone. Read more »
Proposal would change how anticipated pollution from a new facility is calculated. Read more »
Dismantled the federal advisory panel for the National Climate Assessment. Read more »
Reversed an Obama-era policy that restricted U.S. financing of coal-fired power plants abroad. Read more »
Stopped payments to the Green Climate Fund, which helps poor nations address climate change. Read more »
Medium 31
Can be reversed only through more extensive action, such as rewriting a regulation or court ruling
Trump stalled a rule to limit landfill methane emissions. Biden restored it soon after a federal court ruling throwing out the Trump action. Read more »
Biden officials rescinded a rule that restricted which public health benefits could be factored into new air rules. Read more »
The Trump administration reversed an Obama-era moratorium on federal coal leasing through Secretarial Order 3348, on March 29, 2017. The Biden administration rescinded that order, and is weighing whether to reimpose the moratorium on coal leasing. Read more »
On April 5, 2021, a federal court vacated the Trump-era policy that curbs CO2 only in sectors that account for at least 3 percent of U.S. emissions. Read more »
The Biden administration revived a proposal to impose energy conservation standards on manufactured housing that were withdrawn under Trump. It is unclear if the new standards will be as stringent as those in the Obama-era proposed rule. Read more »
The Biden administration is reconsidering a Trump proposal to withdraw test procedures for conventional cooking tops Read more »
On April 1, 2021, the Biden administration proposed overhauling a Trump rule that made it more difficult to impose stricter energy-efficiency rules. Read more »
The Energy Department proposed a rule making lightbulbs more efficient, reversing a Trump policy. The proposal would affect bulbs used in 2 billion sockets in the U.S., from track lighting to candle-shaped bulbs intalled in wall sconces. Read more »
Scaled back measures oil and gas producers have to take to control air pollution. Read more »
The Biden administration is reconsidering a rule exempting some clothes washers and dryers from current energy- and water-efficiency standards. Read more »
The Biden administration is reconsidering a rule that grants manufacturers a waiver from uniform energy-efficiency test procedures. Read more »
The Biden administration indicated in court on March 10 it will not enforce this rule, which prevents environmental, social and government funds from being the default in 401(k) investments. Read more »
Loosened a Clinton-era rule aimed at limiting toxic emissions from major emitters. Read more »
Removed the EPA Environmental Appeals Board’s authority to consider environmental justice challenges related to clean air, clean water or waste-permit decisions. Read more »
The Biden administration is reviewing a Trump rule requiring a comparative analysis of the relative benefits and burdens of potential energy conservation standards for appliances. Read more »
The Biden administration has proposed tightening fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas standards for the nation’s cars, pickup trucks and SUVs that were weakened by Trump, to reach an average of roughly 52 miles per gallon by 2026. Read more »
Scaled back limits on methane emissions from drilling on public lands. Read more »
Withdrew the legal justification for a 2012 rule limiting mercury emissions from power plants. Read more »
Withdrew and delayed a rule to inform consumers about fuel-efficient replacement tires. Read more »
The Biden administration indicated in court on March 10 that it will not enforce this rule, which makes it more difficult to hold proxy and shareholder votes on environmental, social and governance grounds. Read more »
Reduced reporting requirements for hazardous pollutants issuing from power plants. Read more »
Removed requirements to control methane across the oil and gas industry. Read more »
Indefinitely delayed adding 1-bromopropane (1-BP), a solvent linked to neurological damage, to the list of regulated hazardous air pollutants. Read more »
Relaxed air pollution regulations for a handful of power plants that burn coal mining waste Read more »
Approval of Jordan Cove Energy Project, a natural gas export terminal. Read more »
Withdrew rule requiring the detection and repair of hydroflourocarbon leaks from major appliances. Read more »
Provided complete penalty forgiveness for firms that disclose and self-correct air violations. Read more »
Rescinded the Clean Fuels Grant Program, which was to help areas cut pollution and deploy clean-fuel buses. Read more »
Declined to reduce cross-state air pollution involving soot and smog contributors. Read more »
Denied petitions from several states to regulate air pollution coming from upwind states. Read more »
Reversed stricter emission standards for large, publicly owned sewage treatment plants. Read more »
Difficult 11
Can only be reversed through a lengthy regulatory process, act of Congress or court ruling
Biden signed a Congressional Review Act resolution, which passed both chambers, restoring a 2016 rule requiring oil and gas companies detect methane leaks and repair then. Read more »
The Biden administration proposed reversing Trump’s move to withdraw efficiency standards for residential furnaces, commercial water heaters and gas appliances. Read more »
The Biden administration has proposed revoking a rule that relaxed efficiency standards for showerheads, letting them use unlimited amounts of water Read more »
The BIden administration is reconsidering a rule that weakened energy-efficiency standards for dishwashers. Read more »
Revised a program to make it easier for new power plants to avoid emissions regulations. Read more »
Weakened a 2016 rule tightening air pollution limits on offshore operations. Read more »
Made changes to a program aimed at curbing emissions from new or modified industrial facilities. Read more »
The rule streamlines pre-construction approval for minor sources of pollution on Indian Country. Read more »
Exempted large animal farms from having to report risks to state and local officials. Read more »
Revised commercial and industrial incineration standards to address industry concerns. Read more »
Allows petroleum refineries more easily to flare gas and conduct other activities. Read more »
Chemical safety
From plastic water bottles to farmworker pesticide exposure to chemical dangers for infants and children, the Trump administration favored industry over consumer health. At least 14 chemical safety laws are under review by the Biden administration to restore lost protections.
New 3
Easy to overturn 8
Medium 7
Difficult 2
Policy put in place or proposed by the Biden administration
Can be reversed by a simple act, such as signing an executive order or new directive
Can be reversed only through more extensive action, such as rewriting a regulation or court ruling
Can only be reversed through a lengthy regulatory process, act of Congress or court ruling
The Biden administration said it had reached an agreement to phase out use of the chemical, which had been shown to harm an array of endangered species. Read more »
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced it would conduct a full environmental impact statement for a massive petrochemical complex Formosa Plastics Group plans to build near historically Black communities in Louisiana. Read more »
EPA proposed the first-ever reporting requirements to better understand sources and quantities of so-called “forever chemicals.” Read more »
The EPA banned the use of chlorpyrifos, a pesticide linked to neurological damage in children, on food crops. The move came in response to a ruling by the Ninth Circuit that the Trump administration had improperly moved to keep it on the market. Read more »
Biden officials withdrew a guidance document that subjected the Environmental Protection Agency’s chemical toxicity assessments subject to review by the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. Democratic Reps. Betty McCollum (Minn.) Chellie Pingree (Maine) and Diana DeGette (Colo.) pushed for the guidance to be abolished. Read more »
EPA withdrew Trump-era guidance that Biden officials say “weakened” the agency’s ability to oversee certain uses of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. Read more »
Unsuccessful effort to block Agricultural Worker Protection Standard. Read more »
Proposal would narrow the regulation of toxic solvents used in dry cleaning, known as trichlorethylene. Read more »
Proposed relaxing restrictions in interim pesticide registration for pyrethroids. Read more »
Proposed allowing commercial nuclear reactors to dispose of radioactive waste, aside from spent fuel, in local landfills. Read more »
Reversed rule restricting platic water bottle sales in national parks. Read more »
Under Biden, the Environmental Protection Agency agreed to establish a mandatory reporting program on asbestos use and exposure under the Toxic Substances Control Act. Read more »
Eased compliance requirements for storing volatile organic liquids, including petroleum products Read more »
Limited the use of the deadly chemical methylene chloride but exempted commercial uses. Read more »
Limited the scope of how the EPA evaluates the risks of toxic chemicals available on the market.
Withdrew a proposed ban of NMP, a toxic chemical used in paint strippers. Read more »
Adopted a pesticide spraying rule, narrower than the Obama-era rule, after a court loss. Read more »
Rescinded a chemical disaster rule aimed at improving safety at sites with dangerous chemicals. Read more »
Altered requirements for facilities that use extremely hazardous substances to develop risk management plans in case of accidental releases. Read more »
Revised how the government gauges pesticide effects on endangered species.
New 3
Policy put in place or proposed by the Biden administration
The Biden administration said it had reached an agreement to phase out use of the chemical, which had been shown to harm an array of endangered species. Read more »
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced it would conduct a full environmental impact statement for a massive petrochemical complex Formosa Plastics Group plans to build near historically Black communities in Louisiana. Read more »
EPA proposed the first-ever reporting requirements to better understand sources and quantities of so-called “forever chemicals.” Read more »
Easy to overturn 8
Can be reversed by a simple act, such as signing an executive order or new directive
The EPA banned the use of chlorpyrifos, a pesticide linked to neurological damage in children, on food crops. The move came in response to a ruling by the Ninth Circuit that the Trump administration had improperly moved to keep it on the market. Read more »
Biden officials withdrew a guidance document that subjected the Environmental Protection Agency’s chemical toxicity assessments subject to review by the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. Democratic Reps. Betty McCollum (Minn.) Chellie Pingree (Maine) and Diana DeGette (Colo.) pushed for the guidance to be abolished. Read more »
EPA withdrew Trump-era guidance that Biden officials say “weakened” the agency’s ability to oversee certain uses of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. Read more »
Unsuccessful effort to block Agricultural Worker Protection Standard. Read more »
Proposal would narrow the regulation of toxic solvents used in dry cleaning, known as trichlorethylene. Read more »
Proposed relaxing restrictions in interim pesticide registration for pyrethroids. Read more »
Proposed allowing commercial nuclear reactors to dispose of radioactive waste, aside from spent fuel, in local landfills. Read more »
Reversed rule restricting platic water bottle sales in national parks. Read more »
Medium 7
Can be reversed only through more extensive action, such as rewriting a regulation or court ruling
Under Biden, the Environmental Protection Agency agreed to establish a mandatory reporting program on asbestos use and exposure under the Toxic Substances Control Act. Read more »
Eased compliance requirements for storing volatile organic liquids, including petroleum products Read more »
Limited the use of the deadly chemical methylene chloride but exempted commercial uses. Read more »
Limited the scope of how the EPA evaluates the risks of toxic chemicals available on the market.
Withdrew a proposed ban of NMP, a toxic chemical used in paint strippers. Read more »
Adopted a pesticide spraying rule, narrower than the Obama-era rule, after a court loss. Read more »
Rescinded a chemical disaster rule aimed at improving safety at sites with dangerous chemicals. Read more »
Difficult 2
Can only be reversed through a lengthy regulatory process, act of Congress or court ruling
Altered requirements for facilities that use extremely hazardous substances to develop risk management plans in case of accidental releases. Read more »
Revised how the government gauges pesticide effects on endangered species.
Drilling and extraction
The 61 rollbacks Trump enacted on drilling, mining and logging ranged from weakened oil worker safety on offshore platforms to extracting fossil fuels from public lands. Biden announced a moratorium on oil and gas drilling on Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and is reassessing a range of extractive activities, including expanded timber operations in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest and coal leasing out west in the Lower 48.
New 11
Easy to overturn 43
Medium 22
Difficult 7
Policy put in place or proposed by the Biden administration
Can be reversed by a simple act, such as signing an executive order or new directive
Can be reversed only through more extensive action, such as rewriting a regulation or court ruling
Can only be reversed through a lengthy regulatory process, act of Congress or court ruling
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the Biden administration would cancel three old-growth timber sales in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest. It would still allow Alaska Natives and small-scale timber operators to selectively log some old-growth trees. The move ends large-scale harvest of old growth trees on national forests. Read more »
Biden officials canceled second-quarter lease sales, as part of its ongoing pause on new federal leasing. Read more »
The Interior Department postponed quarterly lease sales in Colorado, Montana, Utah and Wyoming “to confirm the adequacy of underlying environmental analysis.” Read more »
Biden officials instructed that any activities in roadless areas must undergo special review, effectively barring logging in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest. Read more »
President Biden established a new interagency council to devise economic strategies to shift communities away from fossil fuels. Read more »
President Biden instructed all agencies to identify existing fossil fuel subsidies and eliminate them from their FY 2021 budget request. Read more »
After pausing new oil and gas leasing for nearly seven months, the Biden administration said it would resume auctions in response to a preliminary injunction issued by a Louisiana judge in June. Read more »
In Secretarial Order 3395, Biden officials subjected all major Interior Department decisions, including awarding new permits, to approval by a senior political appointee. Read more »
The Biden administration announced plans to undertake a new environmental review of drilling within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The move came two months after Interior Secretary Deb Haaland suspended nearly a dozen oil and gas leases issued under President Trump, saying that an “insufficient analysis” had been done before the sale.
The Biden administration has proposed withdrawing 4,560 acres of land that has been exposed by the retreat of Alaska’s Mendenhall Glacier from mining claims. Since 1910 the glacier has retreated nearly 9,200 feet due to climate change, and it continues to shrink. Read more »
President Biden proposed spending $16 billion on plugging abandoned oil and gas wells, and restoring lands that had been damaged by mining. Read more »
The Biden administration withdrew a proposed rule weakening standards governing oil and gas exploratory drilling in the Arctic Ocean. As a result, the Obama-era rule adopted in 2016 remains in effect. Read more »
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on April 16, 2021 signed Secretarial Order 3398, which reversed 12 secretarial orders issued under President Trump promoting fossil fuel development on public lands and waters. Read more »
Biden officials issued a new solicitor’s opinion on April 9, 2021 to override M-Opinion 37059, which prioritized offshore energy uses above other activities, including fishing. Read more »
The Biden administration terminated a proposal scaling back protections in the plan Read more »
Biden officials rescinded a proposal that would have allowed mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP to mine copper in Oak Flat, Ariz. Read more »
Biden officials reversed Trump Interior Secretary David Bernhardt’s move to award 10-year grazing permits to Hammond Ranches, whose owners had been convicted of arson in 2012 Read more »
Interior officials rescinded the Record of Decision for a region-wide lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico. Read more »
Interior canceled Cook Inlet OCS Oil & Gas Lease Sale 258, off Alaska’s southcentral coast, saying it conflicted with Biden’s EO 14008 Read more »
President Biden reversed a Trump-era executive order instructing agencies to speed up the development of energy projects such as pipelines. Read more »
President Biden rescinded the 2017 cross-permit Trump granted for the Keystone XL pipeline. Read more »
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland has recommended President Biden restore the original boundaries to two national monuments in Utah shrunk by Donald Trump. Read more »
Biden officials extended the comment period for a draft management plan affecting 13 million acres of public land in Alaska by three months. Read more »
The Biden administration extended the comment period for this proposed rule, which would allow ranchers to make nonmonetary settlements when they overgraze or illegally graze on public lands, by 60 days beyond the Feb. 16, 2021 deadline for public input. Read more »
Biden officials announced June 10, 2021 that Interior would withdraw a rule overturning higher federal royalties for oil, gas and coal leases adopted at the end of the Obama administration. Read more »
Proposal would make it easier to harvest timber on BLM land Read more »
Sped up oil and gas leasing on Bureau of Land Management lands. Read more »
President Biden ordered a review of President Trump’s move to shrink two national monuments in Utah and call for changes to other national monuments. Read more »
Extended 20-year authorization for natural gas exports to non-trade agreement countries. Read more »
Proposal to reduce the financial assurances oil and gas firms leasing offshore rights must supply. Read more »
Proposed scaling back of security requirements for drilling on federal land. Read more »
Proposed reducing federal fees for non-energy minerals such as potash and phosphate. Read more »
Proposed scaling back rules governing oil pipeline spills. Read more »
Proposed overhauling grazing on Bureau of Land Management lands. Read more »
Proposed speeding up the issuing of oil and gas permits on national forest land. Read more »
Proposed making it easier to locate minerals on national forest land. Read more »
Proposed plan would expand drilling in the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans Read more »
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers allowed a controversial mine permit application but then denied it. Read more »
Amended hazardous materials rules to allow liquefied natural gas exports.
Provided royalty relief to oil and gas firms while denying relief to renewable-energy companies. Read more »
Allowed seismic testing in Big Cypress National Reserve without a permit. Read more »
Executive order to encourage logging on federal lands. Read more »
Allowed state and tribal officials to lay claim to 1.3 million acres of Alaska land for development. Read more »
Moved international border-crossing permit decisions to the White House, to speed pipelines. Read more »
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration announced it would not enforce rules against operators that do not comply with farm tap regulations. Read more »
Barred requiring users of public lands to offset their environmental damage unless specifically directed. Read more »
Removes protections from 229,715 acres in Alaska to allow for minerals extraction. Read more »
Instructed agencies to use coastal, oceanic and Great Lake resources for energy production. Read more »
Changed how regulators consider the greenhouse gas impacts of pipelines in environmental reviews. Read more »
Canceled move to ban mining on 1.3 million acres of California Desert National Conservation Lands. Read more »
Made most of the Arctic Ocean and parts of the Atlantic Ocean open to oil and gas leasing. Read more »
Instructed Interior to revise five-year offshore leasing plan to expand energy production. Read more »
Withdrew a 2016 information collection request for greenhouse gas emissions from existing oil and gas operations. Read more »
Approved construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Read more »
A federal court reversed the Trump administration’s authorization of a petroleum company, Hilcorp Alaska LLC, to “take” marine mammals incidental to oil and gas operations in Cook Inlet. Read more »
The Biden administration asked for a pause in litigation over the Trump administration’s move to revive mining leases near Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. A federal judge granted the motion, that will allow the Agriculture and Interior Departments to review the matter until June 21, 2021. Read more »
Biden paused an Office of Comptroller of the Currency rule finalized on Jan. 14, 2021 that barred banks from refusing to finance projects for certain sectors, such as fossil fuels. It was set to take effect April 1, 2021. Read more »
Proposed limiting protests on federal timber sales. Read more »
Would make more than 13 million acres in the Western Bering Sea open to development Read more »
A federal judge in Alaska threw out key permits the Trump administration issued for ConocoPhillips Willow Project, which could produce up to 160,000 barrels of oil a day during its 30-year operation. Read more »
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the administration would reinstate a Clinton-era rule that prohibited road-building and logging in most of the Tongass National Forest. It targeted the rule on Biden’s first day in office. Read more »
Allowed the bulk transport of liquified natural gas in rail tank cars. Read more »
Withdrew rule that would ensure mining firms paid the cost of cleaning up their operations. Read more »
Rescinded tighter fracking rules on federal and Indian lands. Read more »
Allowing drilling in Utah’s Labyrinth Canyon, in an area surrounded by wilderness Read more »
Opens 9.7 million acres in western Alaska to mineral leasing. Read more »
The Trump administration reached an agreement with Canadian-owned Midas Gold, over the objections of Idaho’s Nez Perce Tribe, to do a partial cleanup of the historical Stibnite Mine Site that clears the way for a massive open-pit gold mine. Read more »
Expanded drilling on the largest swath of federal land, in Alaska, by 7 million acres. Read more »
Expanded grazing by amending the Sonoran Desert National Monument Grazing Plan. Read more »
Reduced the requirements that tribes face when they enter into energy agreements involving tribal land/ Read more »
The Trump administration approved a phosphate mining operation by a subsidiary of Bayer. Activists have sued, arguing the government didn’t adequately consider the environmental impacts of the project. Read more »
Eliminated most of the “Sagebrush Focal Areas” created to protect the imperiled sage grouse. Read more »
Determined that coal mining can take place in an area near Bryce Canyon National Park. Read more »
Overturned guidance to protect sage grouse habitat. Read more »
Removed copper filter cake, which contains heavy metals, from EPA’s hazardous waste list. Read more »
Nullified an Obama-era rule requiring firms to disclose payments to foreign governments for mining projects. Read more »
Weakened the requirement for oil firms to test fail-safe devices use to prevent oil spills. Read more »
Lifted the ban on drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s coastal plain. Read more »
Approval for a lithium mine on BLM land that provides habitat for sage grouse, pronghorn antelope and a rare type of springsnail. Read more »
Weakened federal oversight of mine safety and requirements to report safety violations. Read more »
Trump officials auctioned off 11 leases to drill on 552,000 acres in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge on Jan. 6, 2021, netting $14.4 million. They finalized the leases before President Biden took office. Read more »
Rolled back offshore drilling equipment safety rules adopted after Deepwater Horizon disaster. Read more »
Quickened approvals for small-scale natural gas exports to non-trade agreement countries Read more »
New 11
Policy put in place or proposed by the Biden administration
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the Biden administration would cancel three old-growth timber sales in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest. It would still allow Alaska Natives and small-scale timber operators to selectively log some old-growth trees. The move ends large-scale harvest of old growth trees on national forests. Read more »
Biden officials canceled second-quarter lease sales, as part of its ongoing pause on new federal leasing. Read more »
The Interior Department postponed quarterly lease sales in Colorado, Montana, Utah and Wyoming “to confirm the adequacy of underlying environmental analysis.” Read more »
Biden officials instructed that any activities in roadless areas must undergo special review, effectively barring logging in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest. Read more »
President Biden established a new interagency council to devise economic strategies to shift communities away from fossil fuels. Read more »
President Biden instructed all agencies to identify existing fossil fuel subsidies and eliminate them from their FY 2021 budget request. Read more »
After pausing new oil and gas leasing for nearly seven months, the Biden administration said it would resume auctions in response to a preliminary injunction issued by a Louisiana judge in June. Read more »
In Secretarial Order 3395, Biden officials subjected all major Interior Department decisions, including awarding new permits, to approval by a senior political appointee. Read more »
The Biden administration announced plans to undertake a new environmental review of drilling within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The move came two months after Interior Secretary Deb Haaland suspended nearly a dozen oil and gas leases issued under President Trump, saying that an “insufficient analysis” had been done before the sale.
The Biden administration has proposed withdrawing 4,560 acres of land that has been exposed by the retreat of Alaska’s Mendenhall Glacier from mining claims. Since 1910 the glacier has retreated nearly 9,200 feet due to climate change, and it continues to shrink. Read more »
President Biden proposed spending $16 billion on plugging abandoned oil and gas wells, and restoring lands that had been damaged by mining. Read more »
Easy to overturn 43
Can be reversed by a simple act, such as signing an executive order or new directive
The Biden administration withdrew a proposed rule weakening standards governing oil and gas exploratory drilling in the Arctic Ocean. As a result, the Obama-era rule adopted in 2016 remains in effect. Read more »
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on April 16, 2021 signed Secretarial Order 3398, which reversed 12 secretarial orders issued under President Trump promoting fossil fuel development on public lands and waters. Read more »
Biden officials issued a new solicitor’s opinion on April 9, 2021 to override M-Opinion 37059, which prioritized offshore energy uses above other activities, including fishing. Read more »
The Biden administration terminated a proposal scaling back protections in the plan Read more »
Biden officials rescinded a proposal that would have allowed mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP to mine copper in Oak Flat, Ariz. Read more »
Biden officials reversed Trump Interior Secretary David Bernhardt’s move to award 10-year grazing permits to Hammond Ranches, whose owners had been convicted of arson in 2012 Read more »
Interior officials rescinded the Record of Decision for a region-wide lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico. Read more »
Interior canceled Cook Inlet OCS Oil & Gas Lease Sale 258, off Alaska’s southcentral coast, saying it conflicted with Biden’s EO 14008 Read more »
President Biden reversed a Trump-era executive order instructing agencies to speed up the development of energy projects such as pipelines. Read more »
President Biden rescinded the 2017 cross-permit Trump granted for the Keystone XL pipeline. Read more »
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland has recommended President Biden restore the original boundaries to two national monuments in Utah shrunk by Donald Trump. Read more »
Biden officials extended the comment period for a draft management plan affecting 13 million acres of public land in Alaska by three months. Read more »
The Biden administration extended the comment period for this proposed rule, which would allow ranchers to make nonmonetary settlements when they overgraze or illegally graze on public lands, by 60 days beyond the Feb. 16, 2021 deadline for public input. Read more »
Biden officials announced June 10, 2021 that Interior would withdraw a rule overturning higher federal royalties for oil, gas and coal leases adopted at the end of the Obama administration. Read more »
Proposal would make it easier to harvest timber on BLM land Read more »
Sped up oil and gas leasing on Bureau of Land Management lands. Read more »
President Biden ordered a review of President Trump’s move to shrink two national monuments in Utah and call for changes to other national monuments. Read more »
Extended 20-year authorization for natural gas exports to non-trade agreement countries. Read more »
Proposal to reduce the financial assurances oil and gas firms leasing offshore rights must supply. Read more »
Proposed scaling back of security requirements for drilling on federal land. Read more »
Proposed reducing federal fees for non-energy minerals such as potash and phosphate. Read more »
Proposed scaling back rules governing oil pipeline spills. Read more »
Proposed overhauling grazing on Bureau of Land Management lands. Read more »
Proposed speeding up the issuing of oil and gas permits on national forest land. Read more »
Proposed making it easier to locate minerals on national forest land. Read more »
Proposed plan would expand drilling in the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans Read more »
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers allowed a controversial mine permit application but then denied it. Read more »
Amended hazardous materials rules to allow liquefied natural gas exports.
Provided royalty relief to oil and gas firms while denying relief to renewable-energy companies. Read more »
Allowed seismic testing in Big Cypress National Reserve without a permit. Read more »
Executive order to encourage logging on federal lands. Read more »
Allowed state and tribal officials to lay claim to 1.3 million acres of Alaska land for development. Read more »
Moved international border-crossing permit decisions to the White House, to speed pipelines. Read more »
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration announced it would not enforce rules against operators that do not comply with farm tap regulations. Read more »
Barred requiring users of public lands to offset their environmental damage unless specifically directed. Read more »
Removes protections from 229,715 acres in Alaska to allow for minerals extraction. Read more »
Instructed agencies to use coastal, oceanic and Great Lake resources for energy production. Read more »
Changed how regulators consider the greenhouse gas impacts of pipelines in environmental reviews. Read more »
Canceled move to ban mining on 1.3 million acres of California Desert National Conservation Lands. Read more »
Made most of the Arctic Ocean and parts of the Atlantic Ocean open to oil and gas leasing. Read more »
Instructed Interior to revise five-year offshore leasing plan to expand energy production. Read more »
Withdrew a 2016 information collection request for greenhouse gas emissions from existing oil and gas operations. Read more »
Approved construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Read more »
Medium 22
Can be reversed only through more extensive action, such as rewriting a regulation or court ruling
A federal court reversed the Trump administration’s authorization of a petroleum company, Hilcorp Alaska LLC, to “take” marine mammals incidental to oil and gas operations in Cook Inlet. Read more »
The Biden administration asked for a pause in litigation over the Trump administration’s move to revive mining leases near Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. A federal judge granted the motion, that will allow the Agriculture and Interior Departments to review the matter until June 21, 2021. Read more »
Biden paused an Office of Comptroller of the Currency rule finalized on Jan. 14, 2021 that barred banks from refusing to finance projects for certain sectors, such as fossil fuels. It was set to take effect April 1, 2021. Read more »
Proposed limiting protests on federal timber sales. Read more »
Would make more than 13 million acres in the Western Bering Sea open to development Read more »
A federal judge in Alaska threw out key permits the Trump administration issued for ConocoPhillips Willow Project, which could produce up to 160,000 barrels of oil a day during its 30-year operation. Read more »
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the administration would reinstate a Clinton-era rule that prohibited road-building and logging in most of the Tongass National Forest. It targeted the rule on Biden’s first day in office. Read more »
Allowed the bulk transport of liquified natural gas in rail tank cars. Read more »
Withdrew rule that would ensure mining firms paid the cost of cleaning up their operations. Read more »
Rescinded tighter fracking rules on federal and Indian lands. Read more »
Allowing drilling in Utah’s Labyrinth Canyon, in an area surrounded by wilderness Read more »
Opens 9.7 million acres in western Alaska to mineral leasing. Read more »
The Trump administration reached an agreement with Canadian-owned Midas Gold, over the objections of Idaho’s Nez Perce Tribe, to do a partial cleanup of the historical Stibnite Mine Site that clears the way for a massive open-pit gold mine. Read more »
Expanded drilling on the largest swath of federal land, in Alaska, by 7 million acres. Read more »
Expanded grazing by amending the Sonoran Desert National Monument Grazing Plan. Read more »
Reduced the requirements that tribes face when they enter into energy agreements involving tribal land/ Read more »
The Trump administration approved a phosphate mining operation by a subsidiary of Bayer. Activists have sued, arguing the government didn’t adequately consider the environmental impacts of the project. Read more »
Eliminated most of the “Sagebrush Focal Areas” created to protect the imperiled sage grouse. Read more »
Determined that coal mining can take place in an area near Bryce Canyon National Park. Read more »
Overturned guidance to protect sage grouse habitat. Read more »
Removed copper filter cake, which contains heavy metals, from EPA’s hazardous waste list. Read more »
Nullified an Obama-era rule requiring firms to disclose payments to foreign governments for mining projects. Read more »
Difficult 7
Can only be reversed through a lengthy regulatory process, act of Congress or court ruling
Weakened the requirement for oil firms to test fail-safe devices use to prevent oil spills. Read more »
Lifted the ban on drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s coastal plain. Read more »
Approval for a lithium mine on BLM land that provides habitat for sage grouse, pronghorn antelope and a rare type of springsnail. Read more »
Weakened federal oversight of mine safety and requirements to report safety violations. Read more »
Trump officials auctioned off 11 leases to drill on 552,000 acres in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge on Jan. 6, 2021, netting $14.4 million. They finalized the leases before President Biden took office. Read more »
Rolled back offshore drilling equipment safety rules adopted after Deepwater Horizon disaster. Read more »
Quickened approvals for small-scale natural gas exports to non-trade agreement countries Read more »
Infrastructure and permitting
The Trump administration circumvented environmental rules to speed approval of major projects such as a four-lane highway that could crush desert tortoises in the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area and adopting changes that will curb public input in the development of highways, power plants and incinerators near communities.
New 7
Easy to overturn 21
Medium 4
Difficult 5
Policy put in place or proposed by the Biden administration
Can be reversed by a simple act, such as signing an executive order or new directive
Can be reversed only through more extensive action, such as rewriting a regulation or court ruling
Can only be reversed through a lengthy regulatory process, act of Congress or court ruling
Biden officials took steps to speed transmission on the electricity grid, including issuing a new Transportation Department guidance that allows the use of existing highway rights of way for siting transmission lines and new Energy Department funding and loan guarantees for renewable energy transmission projects and ones owned by tribes and Alaska Native Corporations. Read more »
President Biden established a new cadre of workers to help restore landscapes and help communities adapt to climate change. Read more »
President Biden vowed to double offshore wind production by 2030. Read more »
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers defended the Trump administration’s environmental analysis of Enbridge’s Line 3, which runs through Minnesota and has sparked protests from tribal and climate activists. The pipeline transports oil from Alberta, Canada to Superior, Wis., a distance of roughly 1,000 miles.
Biden officials from the Interior and Defense departments reached an agreement with California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) to identify two areas for potential offshore wind development in the Pacific Ocean. If fully developed, they could produce up to 4.6 gigawatts of power, enough to power 1.6 million homes. Read more »
President Biden proposed investing $174 billion in electric vehicle charging stations, supply chains and raw materials. Read more »
The Biden administration launched an initiative to expand offshore wind production to 30 gigawatts by 2030 by streamlining permitting, offering low-interest loans and funding research. Read more »
The Biden administration withdrew a proposed rule that would have allowed large property owners the ability to veto a proposal to add a site to the National Register of Historic Places. Read more »
Ruled it was legal to take sand from a protected area to replenish a beach elsewhere. Read more »
The Biden administration withdrew approval granted under the Trump administration allowing the use of radioactive phosphogypsum in government road construction projects. Read more »
Trump officials directed Interior Department to streamline its environmental review documents in Secretarial Order 3355, on Aug. 31, 2017. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland overturned this directive with Secretarial Order 3398 on April 16, 2021. Read more »
The Biden administration issued a legal opinion saying that the Missouri River section flowing through North Dakota’s Fort Berthold Indian Reservation belongs to the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation. Read more »
After Biden officials prohibited a fireworks display at Mount Rushmore, which the Trump administration allowed it for the first time in a decade, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) sued. Read more »
The White House rescinded Trump-era guidance that agencies do not have to take a project’s long-term climate impacts into account. Read more »
President Biden revoked Donald Trump’s instruction to agencies that they expedite infrastructure projects during the pandemic. Read more »
President Biden restored a 2013 executive order on preparing for climate change impacts by issuing Executive Order 13990. Read more »
President Biden restored federal flood standards Trump revoked in 2017. Read more »
President Biden rescinded Donald Trump’s reversal of an Obama executive order promoting climate resilience in the northern Bering Sea. Read more »
President Trump instructed agencies to invoke their emergency powers to speed up infrastructure projects. Read more »
Proposal would narrow the Transportation Department’s environmental reviews of major projects. Read more »
Proposed changing the way the EPA weighs costs and benefits of environmental regulation. Read more »
Would withdraw stiffer federal flood risk standards. Read more »
Citing the pandemic, instructed agencies to waive regulations to bolster the economy. Read more »
Opened up 5,400 acres surrounding Utah’s Factory Butte to off-road vehicles. Read more »
Revoked directive to minimize impacts on wildlife and land when approving development projects. Read more »
Rolled back Obama-era policy to protect Alaska’s Izembek National Wildlife Refuge. Read more »
Withdrew 2016 order to consider climate change in the management of national parks. Read more »
Revoked Obama-era standards requiring that federal projects consider sea-level rise and other climate impacts. Read more »
The Biden administration said it would work to replace this Trump-era rule, which limited the climate and environmental impact analysis of major federal actions. Read more »
Granted a 50-year right-of-way for a 210-mile private mining road over an Alaskan roadless are that includes Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve. Read more »
Sped up environmental review process for U.S. Forest Service projects. Read more »
Changed policy to allow coastal replenishment projects to use sand from protected ecosystems. Read more »
Streamlined Army Corps of Engineers permitting for pipelines and other projects. Read more »
Allows construction of a four-lane highway in a protected area home to threatened desert tortoises. Read more »
Overturned a Clean Water Act veto of a project that will drain and damage Mississippi wetlands. Read more »
Exempted exports of natural gas from environmental reviews. Read more »
Nullified the Bureau of Land Management’s updated planning rule. Read more »
New 7
Policy put in place or proposed by the Biden administration
Biden officials took steps to speed transmission on the electricity grid, including issuing a new Transportation Department guidance that allows the use of existing highway rights of way for siting transmission lines and new Energy Department funding and loan guarantees for renewable energy transmission projects and ones owned by tribes and Alaska Native Corporations. Read more »
President Biden established a new cadre of workers to help restore landscapes and help communities adapt to climate change. Read more »
President Biden vowed to double offshore wind production by 2030. Read more »
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers defended the Trump administration’s environmental analysis of Enbridge’s Line 3, which runs through Minnesota and has sparked protests from tribal and climate activists. The pipeline transports oil from Alberta, Canada to Superior, Wis., a distance of roughly 1,000 miles.
Biden officials from the Interior and Defense departments reached an agreement with California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) to identify two areas for potential offshore wind development in the Pacific Ocean. If fully developed, they could produce up to 4.6 gigawatts of power, enough to power 1.6 million homes. Read more »
President Biden proposed investing $174 billion in electric vehicle charging stations, supply chains and raw materials. Read more »
The Biden administration launched an initiative to expand offshore wind production to 30 gigawatts by 2030 by streamlining permitting, offering low-interest loans and funding research. Read more »
Easy to overturn 21
Can be reversed by a simple act, such as signing an executive order or new directive
The Biden administration withdrew a proposed rule that would have allowed large property owners the ability to veto a proposal to add a site to the National Register of Historic Places. Read more »
Ruled it was legal to take sand from a protected area to replenish a beach elsewhere. Read more »
The Biden administration withdrew approval granted under the Trump administration allowing the use of radioactive phosphogypsum in government road construction projects. Read more »
Trump officials directed Interior Department to streamline its environmental review documents in Secretarial Order 3355, on Aug. 31, 2017. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland overturned this directive with Secretarial Order 3398 on April 16, 2021. Read more »
The Biden administration issued a legal opinion saying that the Missouri River section flowing through North Dakota’s Fort Berthold Indian Reservation belongs to the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation. Read more »
After Biden officials prohibited a fireworks display at Mount Rushmore, which the Trump administration allowed it for the first time in a decade, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) sued. Read more »
The White House rescinded Trump-era guidance that agencies do not have to take a project’s long-term climate impacts into account. Read more »
President Biden revoked Donald Trump’s instruction to agencies that they expedite infrastructure projects during the pandemic. Read more »
President Biden restored a 2013 executive order on preparing for climate change impacts by issuing Executive Order 13990. Read more »
President Biden restored federal flood standards Trump revoked in 2017. Read more »
President Biden rescinded Donald Trump’s reversal of an Obama executive order promoting climate resilience in the northern Bering Sea. Read more »
President Trump instructed agencies to invoke their emergency powers to speed up infrastructure projects. Read more »
Proposal would narrow the Transportation Department’s environmental reviews of major projects. Read more »
Proposed changing the way the EPA weighs costs and benefits of environmental regulation. Read more »
Would withdraw stiffer federal flood risk standards. Read more »
Citing the pandemic, instructed agencies to waive regulations to bolster the economy. Read more »
Opened up 5,400 acres surrounding Utah’s Factory Butte to off-road vehicles. Read more »
Revoked directive to minimize impacts on wildlife and land when approving development projects. Read more »
Rolled back Obama-era policy to protect Alaska’s Izembek National Wildlife Refuge. Read more »
Withdrew 2016 order to consider climate change in the management of national parks. Read more »
Revoked Obama-era standards requiring that federal projects consider sea-level rise and other climate impacts. Read more »
Medium 4
Can be reversed only through more extensive action, such as rewriting a regulation or court ruling
The Biden administration said it would work to replace this Trump-era rule, which limited the climate and environmental impact analysis of major federal actions. Read more »
Granted a 50-year right-of-way for a 210-mile private mining road over an Alaskan roadless are that includes Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve. Read more »
Sped up environmental review process for U.S. Forest Service projects. Read more »
Changed policy to allow coastal replenishment projects to use sand from protected ecosystems. Read more »
Difficult 5
Can only be reversed through a lengthy regulatory process, act of Congress or court ruling
Streamlined Army Corps of Engineers permitting for pipelines and other projects. Read more »
Allows construction of a four-lane highway in a protected area home to threatened desert tortoises. Read more »
Overturned a Clean Water Act veto of a project that will drain and damage Mississippi wetlands. Read more »
Exempted exports of natural gas from environmental reviews. Read more »
Nullified the Bureau of Land Management’s updated planning rule. Read more »
Accountability
Biden has said he will change the way the federal government works, making environmental justice a top priority. He will also restore the role of science in decision-making across the entire federal government. That includes taking aim at one of the EPA’s final acts under Trump: limiting the scientific data that can be used in the crafting of public health protections.
New 3
Easy to overturn 2
Medium 1
Policy put in place or proposed by the Biden administration
Can be reversed by a simple act, such as signing an executive order or new directive
Can be reversed only through more extensive action, such as rewriting a regulation or court ruling
President Biden ordered a report within 180 days on how climate change will spur migration, including climate refugees’ security impacts and foreign aid plans. Read more »
President Biden mandated that 40 percent of all federal sustainability investments go to disadvantaged communities. Read more »
President Biden established a new White House interagency council, as well as new offices in the Justice and Health and Human Services Departments. Read more »
Biden officials overturned a policy limiting the scientific studies the Interior Department uses to craft rules. Read more »
Biden officials rescinded a policy that curbed funding of environmental and community projects through legal settlements and lawsuits Read more »
The Environmental Protection Agency finalized a rule that formalized the decision by a Montana federal judge vacating a Trump-era rule restricting EPA’s use of scientific studies in crafting public health rules. Read more »
New 3
Policy put in place or proposed by the Biden administration
President Biden ordered a report within 180 days on how climate change will spur migration, including climate refugees’ security impacts and foreign aid plans. Read more »
President Biden mandated that 40 percent of all federal sustainability investments go to disadvantaged communities. Read more »
President Biden established a new White House interagency council, as well as new offices in the Justice and Health and Human Services Departments. Read more »
Easy to overturn 2
Can be reversed by a simple act, such as signing an executive order or new directive
Biden officials overturned a policy limiting the scientific studies the Interior Department uses to craft rules. Read more »
Biden officials rescinded a policy that curbed funding of environmental and community projects through legal settlements and lawsuits Read more »
Medium 1
Can be reversed only through more extensive action, such as rewriting a regulation or court ruling
The Environmental Protection Agency finalized a rule that formalized the decision by a Montana federal judge vacating a Trump-era rule restricting EPA’s use of scientific studies in crafting public health rules. Read more »
Water pollution
Trump eased restrictions on how companies store coal ash, weakened rules on dumping toxic waste from power plants into waterways and altered which wetlands and streams require federal oversight. Biden has said he will crack down on legacy pollution, particularly in vulnerable communities, and will prioritize upgrading the nation’s crumbling drinking-water infrastructure.
Easy to overturn 3
Medium 7
Difficult 5
Can be reversed by a simple act, such as signing an executive order or new directive
Can be reversed only through more extensive action, such as rewriting a regulation or court ruling
Can only be reversed through a lengthy regulatory process, act of Congress or court ruling
Creates a loophole in the discharge of water pollution, despite a Supreme Court ruling in County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund. Read more »
Proposed limiting the scope of an Obama-era coal ash rule. Read more »
Memo allowing the dumping of a toxic PFAS chemicals into nearby waterways. Read more »
The Biden administration dropped the appeal of a district court decision that the Environmental Protection Agency improperly removed Clean Water Act protections from the San Francisco South Bay salt ponds. The Trump administration’s action made it easier for Cargill to sell off the wetlands area. Read more »
Delayed electronic reporting requirements for water pollution discharges by five years. Read more »
Allowed some coal ash impoundments to keep operating. Read more »
Reversed the finding that perchlorate, a toxic chemical, must be regulated nationwide. Read more »
Trump officials proposed a rule that would let states set any criminal negligence standard for the Clean Water Act. Read more »
Weakens cleanup requirements for the power, oil and gas, and chemical manufacturing industries. Read more »
Withdrew a proposed rule requiring groundwater protections in uranium mine operations. Read more »
A federal judge in Arizona threw out a Trump-era rule that scaled back federal protections for streams, wetlands and other waterways. Read more »
EPA announced it would develop stricter limits on dumping toxic waste from power plants into waterways. But in the meantime, it would leave a Trump-era rule finalized in 2020 in place. Read more »
Extended the operating life of some coal ash ponds leaking toxic waste. Read more »
Biden officials are revisiting a rule that weakened the ability of states and tribes to object to federal project approvals under the Clean Water Act. Read more »
Scrapped an Obama rule requiring mining firms to reduce harm to streams. Read more »
Easy to overturn 3
Can be reversed by a simple act, such as signing an executive order or new directive
Creates a loophole in the discharge of water pollution, despite a Supreme Court ruling in County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund. Read more »
Proposed limiting the scope of an Obama-era coal ash rule. Read more »
Memo allowing the dumping of a toxic PFAS chemicals into nearby waterways. Read more »
Medium 7
Can be reversed only through more extensive action, such as rewriting a regulation or court ruling
The Biden administration dropped the appeal of a district court decision that the Environmental Protection Agency improperly removed Clean Water Act protections from the San Francisco South Bay salt ponds. The Trump administration’s action made it easier for Cargill to sell off the wetlands area. Read more »
Delayed electronic reporting requirements for water pollution discharges by five years. Read more »
Allowed some coal ash impoundments to keep operating. Read more »
Reversed the finding that perchlorate, a toxic chemical, must be regulated nationwide. Read more »
Trump officials proposed a rule that would let states set any criminal negligence standard for the Clean Water Act. Read more »
Weakens cleanup requirements for the power, oil and gas, and chemical manufacturing industries. Read more »
Withdrew a proposed rule requiring groundwater protections in uranium mine operations. Read more »
Difficult 5
Can only be reversed through a lengthy regulatory process, act of Congress or court ruling
A federal judge in Arizona threw out a Trump-era rule that scaled back federal protections for streams, wetlands and other waterways. Read more »
EPA announced it would develop stricter limits on dumping toxic waste from power plants into waterways. But in the meantime, it would leave a Trump-era rule finalized in 2020 in place. Read more »
Extended the operating life of some coal ash ponds leaking toxic waste. Read more »
Biden officials are revisiting a rule that weakened the ability of states and tribes to object to federal project approvals under the Clean Water Act. Read more »
Scrapped an Obama rule requiring mining firms to reduce harm to streams. Read more »
Wildlife
One of the hallmarks of former interior secretary David Bernhardt’s legacy has been the narrowing of safeguards for endangered wildlife. The northern spotted owl, whose forest habitat is disappearing; the Pacific walrus, which faces shrinking sea ice; and the Bryde’s whale, threatened by oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, are likely to receive enhanced protections under Biden.
New 4
Easy to overturn 10
Medium 14
Difficult 6
Policy put in place or proposed by the Biden administration
Can be reversed by a simple act, such as signing an executive order or new directive
Can be reversed only through more extensive action, such as rewriting a regulation or court ruling
Can only be reversed through a lengthy regulatory process, act of Congress or court ruling
President Biden set a goal of conserving 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030. Read more »
The Biden administration intends to list emperor penguins as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act, arguing that the flightless bird species from Antarctica faces a myriad of risks posed by climate change. Read more »
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed a rule that would allow oil and gas companies to disturb polar bears and walruses in the Beaufort Sea as well as the Western Arctic through their drilling activities over the next five years. Read more »
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed listing the lesser prairie chicken in the southern portion of its range, which includes part of New Mexico and Texas. Read more »
Interior officials informed the Kaktovik Iñupiat Corporation it failed to survey maternal polar bear dens as required for a seismic testing permit in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Read more »
Biden officials rescinded an order that eliminated the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership, which funds parks and greenspace projects in urban areas, and underserved communities. Read more »
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland recommended that President Biden reimpose all commericial fishing limits within the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument. Read more »
The Biden administration proposed reversing Trump’s move to shrink the spotted owl’s critical habitat by 3.4 million acres, instead reducing it by 200,000 acres. Read more »
Biden officials issued a proposed rule May 6 revoking a Trump-era legal interpretation that killing scores birds by accident is not subject to prosecution. However, the administration allowed the Trump-era rule to go into effect on March 8, after delaying it for a couple of months. Read more »
Proposed allowing the trapping and baiting of brown bears in Alaska’s Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. Read more »
The Trump administration determined designating habitat for the rusty patched bumble bee would be “not prudent,” despite the fact that it’s listed under the Endangered Species Act. Read more »
Withdrew a prohibition on using neonicotinoid pesticides and GMOs in national wildlife refuges. Read more »
Made it legal to destroy Canada geese nests year-round. Read more »
Lifted ban to allow for some elephant and lion trophy imports. Read more »
In July 2018, the Trump administration expanded grazing in the Centennial Mountains, on the Idaho-Montana border. On April 16, 2021 a federal judge in the U.S. District Count for the District of Idaho ruled that the federal government failed to do an adequate analysis of the environmental impact of the move on native grizzly bears, wolves, bighorn sheep, and sage grouse. Read more »
Prioritized industrial and other uses when making critical habitat designation Read more »
Allowed oil and gas operators to harm marine mammals while during surveys in the Gulf of Mexico. Read more »
Withdrew sage grouse protections spanning 10 million acres to allow drilling. Read more »
Relaxed environmental protections for salmon and smelt in California’s Central Valley. Read more »
Scaled back consultations under the Endangered Species Act. Read more »
Reversed a 25-year policy of barring the logging of trees with a diameter of 21 inches or more in national forests in eastern Oregon and Washington. Read more »
Vetoed bipartisan bill phasing out mile-long driftnets that entangle marine mammals and sharks. Read more »
Scuttled a recovery site for the endangered black-footed ferret. Read more »
Reclassified American burying beetle from endangered to threatened, despite ongoing threats. Read more »
Adopted rules with fewer safeguards for Atlantic bluefin tuna. Read more »
Weakened rule for shrimp trawl nets that entangle sea turtles. Read more »
Overturned a ban on the use of lead ammunition and fishing tackle on federal lands. Read more »
The Trump administration denied Endangered Species Act protections to the Pacific walrus, which is threatened by climate change. On June 3, 2021, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the agency failed to justify this decision and sent it back, demanding a proper justification. Read more »
Requires consideration of financial impacts in designating critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act. Read more »
Narrowed the definition of what constitutes critical habitat for imperiled species. Read more »
Reversed Obama-era ban on controversial hunting practices on some lands in Alaska. Read more »
Limited when the government identifies habitat as critical for an imperiled species. Read more »
Rolled back inter-agency Endangered Species Act consultations on pesticides. Read more »
Overturned a ban on the hunting of predators in Alaskan wildlife refuges. Read more »
New 4
Policy put in place or proposed by the Biden administration
President Biden set a goal of conserving 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030. Read more »
The Biden administration intends to list emperor penguins as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act, arguing that the flightless bird species from Antarctica faces a myriad of risks posed by climate change. Read more »
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed a rule that would allow oil and gas companies to disturb polar bears and walruses in the Beaufort Sea as well as the Western Arctic through their drilling activities over the next five years. Read more »
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed listing the lesser prairie chicken in the southern portion of its range, which includes part of New Mexico and Texas. Read more »
Easy to overturn 10
Can be reversed by a simple act, such as signing an executive order or new directive
Interior officials informed the Kaktovik Iñupiat Corporation it failed to survey maternal polar bear dens as required for a seismic testing permit in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Read more »
Biden officials rescinded an order that eliminated the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership, which funds parks and greenspace projects in urban areas, and underserved communities. Read more »
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland recommended that President Biden reimpose all commericial fishing limits within the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument. Read more »
The Biden administration proposed reversing Trump’s move to shrink the spotted owl’s critical habitat by 3.4 million acres, instead reducing it by 200,000 acres. Read more »
Biden officials issued a proposed rule May 6 revoking a Trump-era legal interpretation that killing scores birds by accident is not subject to prosecution. However, the administration allowed the Trump-era rule to go into effect on March 8, after delaying it for a couple of months. Read more »
Proposed allowing the trapping and baiting of brown bears in Alaska’s Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. Read more »
The Trump administration determined designating habitat for the rusty patched bumble bee would be “not prudent,” despite the fact that it’s listed under the Endangered Species Act. Read more »
Withdrew a prohibition on using neonicotinoid pesticides and GMOs in national wildlife refuges. Read more »
Made it legal to destroy Canada geese nests year-round. Read more »
Lifted ban to allow for some elephant and lion trophy imports. Read more »
Medium 14
Can be reversed only through more extensive action, such as rewriting a regulation or court ruling
In July 2018, the Trump administration expanded grazing in the Centennial Mountains, on the Idaho-Montana border. On April 16, 2021 a federal judge in the U.S. District Count for the District of Idaho ruled that the federal government failed to do an adequate analysis of the environmental impact of the move on native grizzly bears, wolves, bighorn sheep, and sage grouse. Read more »
Prioritized industrial and other uses when making critical habitat designation Read more »
Allowed oil and gas operators to harm marine mammals while during surveys in the Gulf of Mexico. Read more »
Withdrew sage grouse protections spanning 10 million acres to allow drilling. Read more »
Relaxed environmental protections for salmon and smelt in California’s Central Valley. Read more »
Scaled back consultations under the Endangered Species Act. Read more »
Reversed a 25-year policy of barring the logging of trees with a diameter of 21 inches or more in national forests in eastern Oregon and Washington. Read more »
Vetoed bipartisan bill phasing out mile-long driftnets that entangle marine mammals and sharks. Read more »
Scuttled a recovery site for the endangered black-footed ferret. Read more »
Reclassified American burying beetle from endangered to threatened, despite ongoing threats. Read more »
Adopted rules with fewer safeguards for Atlantic bluefin tuna. Read more »
Weakened rule for shrimp trawl nets that entangle sea turtles. Read more »
Overturned a ban on the use of lead ammunition and fishing tackle on federal lands. Read more »
The Trump administration denied Endangered Species Act protections to the Pacific walrus, which is threatened by climate change. On June 3, 2021, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the agency failed to justify this decision and sent it back, demanding a proper justification. Read more »
Difficult 6
Can only be reversed through a lengthy regulatory process, act of Congress or court ruling
Requires consideration of financial impacts in designating critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act. Read more »
Narrowed the definition of what constitutes critical habitat for imperiled species. Read more »
Reversed Obama-era ban on controversial hunting practices on some lands in Alaska. Read more »
Limited when the government identifies habitat as critical for an imperiled species. Read more »
Rolled back inter-agency Endangered Species Act consultations on pesticides. Read more »
Overturned a ban on the hunting of predators in Alaskan wildlife refuges. Read more »