"U.S. environmental groups say they are hiring lawyers and preparing for a major legal showdown with President Donald Trump's administration over its rapid-fire and sweeping efforts to sidestep federal regulations on oil, gas and coal development.

The preparations will pose a test for the Trump administration’s strategy since January of relying mainly on emergency authorities and executive orders to slash what it views as obstructions to a surge in fossil fuel energy production.

In the last two weeks, Trump issued an executive order directing agencies to sunset every existing energy regulation by next year and, in a separate memorandum, said those agencies may repeal certain regulations without allowing the public to weigh in.

Federal officials have also notified companies that they can seek exemptions to clean air regulations via email, exempted dozens of companies from mercury and air toxics limits, fast-tracked a controversial oil pipeline tunnel in the Great Lakes, and dispensed with a court-ordered environmental review of thousands of oil and gas leases on federal lands."

Nichola Groom and Valerie Volcovici report for Reuters April 22, 2025. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"Earthjustice President Describes a “Fundamentally Different” Era of Hostility Toward Environmentalists" (ProPublica) [3]