Slashing Environmental Regulations. The Department of Commerce recently solicited comments from manufacturers, asking broadly which regulations the government could cut that would benefit domestic manufacturing. Nearly half of the 168 comments submitted in response targeted the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), including 48 targeting regulations promulgated under the Clean Air Act and 29 under the Clean Water Act. More recently, EPA issued a separate request for comment (due May 15) seeking input on regulations "that may be appropriate for repeal, replacement, or modification." It is likely that many of the industry comments calling for rollbacks of environmental regulations filed with Department of Commerce will be repeated in response to the EPA's request. For example, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce proposed extending the EPA's period for review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) from every 5 years to every 10 years. The EPA sets NAAQS for air pollutants such as particulate matter that are considered harmful to public health and the environment, and extending the review period would make the NAAQs less useful for protecting air quality. Learn more about the EPA regulations under review and how you can comment here.

Reconsidering Methane Emissions Rules. EPA is already beginning to review regulations under industry pressure. In response to petitions from industry groups like the American Petroleum Institute, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt announced companies can delay compliance of the methane emissions standards for new and modified oil and gas infrastructure by at least 90 days as EPA reconsiders the rule. The rule requires oil and gas companies to find and repair leaks, capture gas from fracking wells, limit emissions from pneumatic pumps, and limit emissions from several types of equipment used at gas transmission compressor stations. The methane rule — which was finalized in June 2016 — was a key part of the Obama administration's efforts to cut emissions from the oil and gas sector.

Midnight for Paris? EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt called for the United States to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement. Pruitt called the Paris Agreement a "bad deal for America," falsely claiming that, unlike the United States, countries like India and China won't have to do anything to reduce emissions until 2030. Moreover, the Trump Administration is still considering what to do with the Paris Agreement. White House officials postponed a meeting to discuss the fate of the Paris Agreement. The Administration could choose simply to ignore the targets and commitments set by the Obama Administration, while remaining a party to the Paris Agreement. This could weaken America's leadership on the international stage, but pulling out of the agreement altogether would suggest that other countries could similarly renege on their commitments and would weaken the landmark 196-country agreement. The Trump Administration is expected to make a decision by May 26 — before the G7 Summit. Under President Obama, the United States committed to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions 26 to 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. The United States has achieved about 44 percent of its commitments under the agreement. According to the EPA, net greenhouse gas emissions decreased about 11.5 percent below 2005 levels in 2014.

Keeping Coal Alive. Energy Secretary Rick Perry ordered a study of the U.S. electric grid that will consider how renewable energy subsidies affect reliability. A recent Perry memo invoked concerns about the erosion of resources like coal and natural gas that provide baseload power — power that can be consistently generated to meet demand 24 hours a day. By contrast, resources like solar and wind do not provide baseload power because they do not generate electricity when the sun is not shining or the wind is not blowing. Perry asked his Chief of Staff, Brian McCormack, to develop a plan for evaluating to what extent regulatory burdens, subsidies, and tax policies "are responsible for forcing the premature retirement of baseload power plants." The study suggests a hostility towards renewable resources and an effort to keep coal plants online, while ignoring federal subsidies for fossil fuels.

Downsizing EPA. The Trump Administration is offering EPA employees a buyout or retirement package to reduce the size of the agency. The Administration's budget blueprint has proposed to reduce the size of EPA's workforce by about 25 percent. This program comes on the heels of a report that the Administration is considering combining the Chicago and Kansas City regional offices. The Chicago (Region 5) office covers the upper Midwest and the Great Lakes. While the EPA Administrator has declined to comment on the regional office closure, the EPA Regional Officer based in Chicago denied the report.

More Mining, More Drilling. Leaked documents show the Trump Administration has developed a priority list that calls on the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to focus on energy and mineral development. Of relevance, the priority list calls on streamlining of leasing, permitting, and approval of projects. The document reflects Trump's America First Energy Plan that includes an "all of the above" energy development plan for public lands.

Dow Urges Killing Pesticide Study. Dow Chemicals urged the Trump Administration to ignore scientific studies that found a family of wide-usedly pesticides (called organophosphates) are harmful to about 1,800 species of animals and plants, many of which are critically threatened or endangered. Lawyers from Dow — whose CEO also heads the White House Manufacturing Working Group — and two chemical companies sent a letter to the Trump Administration asking them "to set aside" the results of government scientific studies the companies contend are fundamentally flawed. These studies are suppose to serve as a basis for new rules limiting how and where these chemicals could be used. Organophosphates-based pesticides (e.g., chlorpyrifos, diazinon and malathion) are widely used for fruits and vegetables.

BP Alaska Gas Leak. A damaged oil well in Alaska's North Slope leaked natural gas and oil over a three-day period before BP capped the well. The leak comes at a time when oil and gas companies and Alaska lawmakers are pushing the Department of Interior to open new oil and gas development.

Climate Issue. The New York Times Magazine has an entire new issue devoted to climate change.

What You Can Do

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is calling for public comments on its regulations – the ones that protect us from polluted air and water, toxic chemicals, and climate change. The EPA needs to hear that Americans care about these protections, and are watching. For information on EPA regulations under review, as well as ideas of what to comment, check out RISE Stronger's statement about the EPA.

1. Pledge your support to the EPA today.

2. Attend an in-person or phone public hearing. Information on public hearing dates, as well as recommendations on key areas to focus on can be found here.

3. Submit a written comment to the EPA here by clicking on the "Comment Now!" button.

• Call your Member of Congress and ask them to join the call for an investigation into EPA Administrator Pruitt's close ties to the fossil fuel industry.

- Energy & Environment Policy Working Group, RISE Stronger

Have comments or something to add? Contact the RISE Energy & Environment Policy Working Group at [email protected]