Trump's first 100 days of environmental policy

A look at some of what this White House has done so far.

By
MaryAlice Parks
April 29, 2017, 4:07 AM ET
1 min read

— -- President Donald Trump’s 100th day in office coincides with planned climate and science marches around the country.

The People's Climate Movement, a mega-group with buy-in from Sierra Club, SEIU, NAACP, the National Resources Defense Council and local unions, is planning a protest in Washington, D.C., as well as satellite marches around the country Saturday.

The Trump administration has already taken a lot of action that could change energy production, emissions standards and environmental protection in the country. The president and his new Cabinet have taken dozens of steps to keep campaign promises and roll back Obama-era regulations and initiatives. Here’s a look at some of what this White House has done so far:

Department of Interior and Bureau of Land Management

  • Feb. 16: President Trump signs joint congressional resolution revoking a rule that prohibited mining companies from dumping toxic waste into waterways near their mines.
  • March 3: Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke overturns ban on nontoxic metals, specifically lead, in ammunition and fishing tackle on public lands and waters
  • March 16: The White House proposes slashing $1.5 billion from the Interior Department budget, which includes the National Park Service and the Forest Service.
  • March 29: The administration lifts a federal moratorium on new coal leases and suspends a review of federal coal-leasing practices
  • April 3: Trump signs into a law a rule overturning a ban on the use of certain "predator control" methods near federal wildlife refuges in Alaska. Hunters will now be able to trap wolves while in their dens with pups, kill bear cubs or mothers with cubs, and hunt grizzly bears from airplanes
  • April 26: Trump signs an executive order calling for a review of national monuments, specifically those over 100,000 acres and created in the last 20 years.
  • April 28: Trump signs an executive order calling for review of off-shore drilling leases.

    • Environmental Protection Agency

  • March 15: Trump proposes cutting the EPA budget by 31 percent, which includes eliminating regional programs, cutting 3,200 jobs and possibly eliminating regional offices, like the one in Chicago that has handled the Flint crisis. The agency has already begun briefing staff on buyout options.
  • March 28: Trump signs an executive order directing EPA and the Interior Department to review the Clean Power Plan and Clean Water Rule
  • March 29: EPA Head Scott Pruitt denies a petition to ban a pesticide that has been linked to health problems in humans. The EPA had been restricting use of the pesticide over the last decade and a full ban had strong support.
  • April 18: The EPA announces it will review two rules dealing with coal plant emission standards and in the meantime halt ongoing Obama-era litigation enforcing those two rules. One rule deals with acceptable levels of mercury and arsenic pollution from the plants and the other rule closed loopholes plants used to strategically time emissions to bypass regulations.

    • Department of Energy

  • Feb. 7 - The Army Corps of Engineers reverses its previous stance and approves land access for Dakota Access pipeline.
  • March 15: Trump travels to Detroit to announce plans to review and roll back carbon pollution standards for vehicles.
  • March 24: Trump announces the administration’s approval of the Keystone XL pipeline.

    • Trump has also said that he would pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate agreement but the administration has not said if that will still happen.