EPA’s Back-to-Basics agenda tames myriad Obama regulations

A Pennsylvania coal mine was the backdrop for Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt’s early-April announcement of an agency agenda true to Trump administration objectives. “Back-to-Basics means returning EPA to its core mission: protecting the environment by engaging with state, local, and tribal partners to create sensible regulations that enhance economic growth,” he affirmed.



Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt holds court at the CNX Coal Resources Harvey Mine. PHOTO: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

In conjunction with the gathering at CNX Coal Resources’ Harvey Mine in Sycamore, Pa., EPA detailed recent or forthcoming agency actions supporting Back-to-Basics:

  • Launch of the Regulatory Reform Task Force to undergo extensive reviews of misaligned regulatory actions;
  • Four notices to review, revise or rescind major, economically significant, burdensome rules the last Administration issued—chief among them the so-called Clean Power Plan, which threatens 125,000-plus U.S. jobs;
  • Restoring states’ important role in the regulation of local waters through “Waters of the U.S.” rule review;
  • Helping states achieve high air quality targets, clean up toxic waste sites and improve America’s water infrastructure;
  • Allocating funds for vital environmental projects that go directly to the health of citizens, such as providing $100 million to upgrade the Flint, Mich., drinking water system; and,
  • Rescinding an evaluation of greenhouse gas and fuel economy standards for model year 2022-2025 passenger vehicles plus tandem efforts with the Department of Transportation to conduct a collaborative and robust review of the standards.