Former senior environmental officials from both Democratic and Republican administrations said the first 100 days of Donald Trump’s second term–marked by actions to reduce the reach and influence of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)–have caused irreversible damage to U.S. environmental progress and its ability to counter the worst effects of climate change.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the federal agency for environmental protection in the United States. Established on December 2, 1970 during the presidency of Richard Nixon, it is an independent agency charged with protecting human health and the environment through regulation and enforcement of environmental laws.
William Reilly, former EPA administrator under Republican President George H.W. Bush, told the media, “My sense is that the first 100 days of the Trump administration have created a situation of irreparable damage.”
Among the most significant changes introduced by Trump are: revoking the Clean Power Plan (CPP), instituted by Obama and meant to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants; reducing federal protections on many inland waters and wetlands; facilitating agricultural and infrastructure development; revoking mercury regulations, which limited emissions from coal-fired power plants; scaling back vehicle emissions and fuel efficiency standards; and loosening regulations on methane, an important greenhouse gas.
According to Newsweek reports, Reilly expressed concern about Trump’s deep cuts to environmental agencies, which he said, have rendered them unable to fulfill their missions. “It has so compromised the ability of several agencies to function on all levels that we will be faced with dysfunctional entities,” he said.
Christine Todd Whitman, who headed the EPA during George W. Bush’s presidency, said she was particularly concerned that the Trump administration has signaled to polluting industries that it will not fully enforce existing regulations on fossil fuel use and waste disposal.
Gina McCarthy, EPA administrator under Barack Obama, also sharply criticized Trump’s actions, accusing his administration of deliberately straying from the EPA’s mission to favor the interests of the oil, gas and coal industries, the same ones that contributed generously to his campaign.
