U.S. President Joe Biden delivers his speech after he was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., January 20, 2021. REUTERS/Jim Bourg
The new president is unwinding Trump’s climate change legacy while forging his own.
President Biden placed climate change squarely at the center of his White House agenda on Wednesday, using his first hours in office to rejoin the Paris climate accord and begin overturning more than 100 environmental actions taken by the Trump administration.
Administration officials are suggesting that they will go well beyond reversing Trump’s policies. On Thursday U.S. presidential climate envoy John F. Kerry said the U.S. and other nations must commit to much deeper carbon cuts to avert dire climate impacts, and the Interior Department issued an order requiring signoff from a top political appointee for any new oil and gas lease or drilling activity. The directive, which could slow approval for more than 400 drilling permit applications, prompted an immediate outcry from the oil and gas industry.
Those initial moves are the first in what promises to be a much longer — and more arduous — effort to unwind the Trump administration’s sweeping environmental and energy policies, which were marked by aggressive deregulation, prioritizing the fossil fuels industry and sidelining efforts to combat climate change or protect imperiled animals.
Trump worked to scale back or abolish more than 200 environmental protections in just a single term, according to a Washington Post analysis, completing more than 170 of them. Biden can overturn some of them with a stroke of a pen. Others will take years to undo, and some may never be reversed. Four Obama-era regulations were nullified under the Congressional Review Act, which prevents the introduction of a new rule that is “substantially the same” as what had been replaced, making Trump’s actions particularly hard to reverse.
The majority of Trump’s rollbacks affect air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions linked to climate change, though 27 affect wildlife and 23 relate to infrastructure and planning. Though Biden is unlikely to target every one of his predecessor’s environmental actions, dozens of them are already in his sights.
Air pollution and greenhouse gases
The Trump administration enacted at least 64 policies weakening or overturning regulations aimed at curbing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions fueling global warming. Biden has vowed to reverse that legacy and promote a low-carbon future instead. By signing a document to rejoin the Paris climate agreement on his first day in office, the new president reversed one of his predecessor’s signature policies and signaled a different path.
Easy to overturn 6
Medium 6
Difficult 2
Can be reversed by a simple act, such as signing an executive order or new directive
Can be reversed only through more extensive action, such as rewriting a regulation or court ruling
Can only be reversed through a lengthy regulatory process, act of Congress or court ruling
Unsuccessful effort to block Agricultural Worker Protection Standard Read more »
Rejected a proposed ban on chlorpyrifos, a pesticide linked to neurological damage in children Read more »
Proposal would narrow the regulation of toxic solvents used in dry cleaning Read more »
Proposed relaxing restrictions in interim pesticide registration for pyrethroids Read more »
Proposed allowing commercial nuclear reactors to dispose of radioactive waste, aside from spent fuel, in local landfills Read more »
Reversed rule restricting platic water bottle sales in national parks Read more »
Eased compliance requirements for storing volatile organic liquids, including petroleum products Read more »
Limited the use of the deadly chemical methylene chloride but exempted commercial uses Read more »
Limited the scope of how the EPA evaluates the risks of toxic chemicals available on the market
Withdrew a proposed ban of NMP, a toxic chemical used in paint strippers Read more »
Adopted a pesticide spraying rule, narrower than the Obama-era rule, after a court loss Read more »
Rescinded a chemical disaster rule aimed at improving safety at sites with dangerous chemicals Read more »
Drilling and extraction
The 61 rollbacks Trump enacted on drilling, mining and logging ranged from weakened oil worker safety on offshore platforms to extracting fossil fuels from public lands. Biden announced a moratorium on oil and gas drilling on Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and is reassessing a range of extractive activities including expanded timber operations in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest and coal leasing out West in the Lower 48.
Easy to overturn 38
Medium 17
Difficult 7
Can be reversed by a simple act, such as signing an executive order or new directive
Can be reversed only through more extensive action, such as rewriting a regulation or court ruling
Can only be reversed through a lengthy regulatory process, act of Congress or court ruling
Biden rescinded the 2017 cross-permit Trump granted for the Keystone XL pipeline Read more »
Proposal would make it easier to harvest timber on BLM land Read more »
Sped up oil and gas leasing on Bureau of Land Management lands Read more »
Extended 20-year authorization for natural gas exports to non-trade agreement countries Read more »
Allowing drilling in Utah’s Labyrinth Canyon, in an area surrounded by wilderness Read more »
Would allow ranchers to make nonmonetary settlements when they overgraze or illegally graze on public lands Read more »
Proposed scaling back protections in Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan Read more »
Proposal to reduce the financial assurances oil and gas firms leasing offshore rights must supply Read more »
Proposed scaling back of security requirements for drilling on federal land Read more »
Proposed reducing federal fees for non-energy minerals such as potash and phosphate Read more »
Proposed scaling back rules governing oil pipeline spills Read more »
Proposed overhauling grazing on Bureau of Land Management lands Read more »
Proposed speeding up the issuing of oil and gas permits on national forest land Read more »
Proposed making it easier to locate minerals on national forest land Read more »
Proposed plan would expand drilling in the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans Read more »
Proposed weakening standards governing oil and gas exploratory drilling in the Arctic Ocean Read more »
Repealed an Obama-era rule raising federal royalties for oil, gas and coal leases Read more »
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers allowed a controversial mine permit application but then denied it Read more »
Amended hazardous materials rules to allow liquefied natural gas exports
Provided royalty relief to oil and gas firms while denying relief to renewable-energy companies Read more »
Allowed seismic testing in Big Cypress National Reserve without a permit Read more »
Executive order to encourage logging on federal lands Read more »
Allowed state and tribal officials to lay claim to 1.3 million acres of Alaska land for development Read more »
Instructed agencies to speed up the development of energy projects such as pipelines Read more »
Moved international border-crossing permit decisions to the White House, to speed pipelines Read more »
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration announced it would not enforce rules against operators that do not comply with farm tap regulations Read more »
Barred requiring users of public lands to offset their environmental damage unless specifically directed Read more »
Removes protections from 229,715 acres in Alaska to allow for minerals extraction Read more »
Instructed agencies to use coastal, oceanic and Great Lake resources for energy production Read more »
Changed how regulators consider the greenhouse gas impacts of pipelines in environmental reviews Read more »
Canceled move to ban mining on 1.3 million acres of California Desert National Conservation Lands Read more »
Overturned guidance to protect sage grouse habitat Read more »
Shrank two national monuments in Utah Read more »
Made most of the Arctic Ocean and parts of the Atlantic Ocean open to oil and gas leasing Read more »
Instructed Interior to revise five-year offshore leasing plan to expand energy production Read more »
Shrank two national monuments in Utah and called for changes to other national monuments Read more »
Withdrew a 2016 information collection request for greenhouse gas emissions from existing oil and gas operations Read more »
Approved construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline Read more »
Proposed limiting protests on federal timber sales Read more »
Would make more than 13 million acres in the Western Bering Sea open to development Read more »
Allowed road-building and logging in most of the Tongass National Forest Read more »
Allowed the bulk transport of liquified natural gas in rail tank cars Read more »
Withdrew rule that would ensure mining firms paid the cost of cleaning up their operations Read more »
Rescinded tighter fracking rules on federal and Indian lands Read more »
Proposal would allow mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP to mine copper in Oak Flat, Ariz. Read more »
Opens 9.7 million acres in western Alaska to mineral leasing Read more »
Reversed a 25-year policy of barring the logging of trees with a diameter of 21 inches or more in national forests in eastern Oregon and Washington. Read more »
Expanded drilling on the largest swath of federal land, in Alaska, by 7 million acres Read more »
Expanded grazing by amending the Sonoran Desert National Monument Grazing Plan Read more »
Reduced the requirements that tribes face when they enter into energy agreements involving tribal land Read more »
Eliminated most of the “Sagebrush Focal Areas” created to protect the imperiled sage grouse Read more »
Determined that coal mining can take place in an area near Bryce Canyon National Park Read more »
Revived mining leases near Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Read more »
Removed copper filter cake, which contains heavy metals, from EPA’s hazardous waste list Read more »
Nullified an Obama-era rule requiring firms to disclose payments to foreign governments for mining projects Read more »
Weakened the requirement for oil firms to test fail-safe devices use to prevent oil spills Read more »
Lifted the ban on drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s coastal plain Read more »
Approval for a lithium mine on BLM land that provides habitat for sage grouse, pronghorn antelope and a rare type of springsnail Read more »
Weakened federal oversight of mine safety and requirements to report safety violations Read more »
Leased drilling rights to 552,000 acres in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Read more »
Rolled back offshore drilling equipment safety rules adopted after Deepwater Horizon disaster Read more »
Quickened approvals for small-scale natural gas exports to non-trade agreement countries Read more »
Infrastructure and permitting
The Trump administration circumvented environmental rules to speed approval of major projects such as a four-lane highway that could crush desert tortoises in the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area and adopting changes that will curb public input in the development of highways, power plants and incinerators near communities.
Easy to overturn 15
Medium 3
Difficult 5
Can be reversed by a simple act, such as signing an executive order or new directive
Can be reversed only through more extensive action, such as rewriting a regulation or court ruling
Can only be reversed through a lengthy regulatory process, act of Congress or court ruling
Ruled it was legal to take sand from a protected area to replenish a beach elsewhere Read more »
Proposal would narrow the Transportation Department’s environmental reviews of major projects Read more »
Proposed changing the way the EPA weighs costs and benefits of environmental regulation Read more »
Would withdraw stiffer federal flood risk standards Read more »
Allows radioactive phosphogypsum to be used in government road construction projects Read more »
Instructed agencies to expedite infrastructure projects during the pandemic Read more »
Citing the pandemic, instructed agencies to waive regulations to bolster the economy Read more »
Opened up 5,400 acres surrounding Utah’s Factory Butte to off-road vehicles Read more »
Revoked directive to minimize impacts on wildlife and land when approving development projects Read more »
Instructed agencies to invoke their emergency powers to speed up infrastructure projects Read more »
Rolled back Obama-era policy to protect Alaska’s Izembek National Wildlife Refuge Read more »
Directed Interior Department to streamline its environmental review documents Read more »
Withdrew 2016 order to consider climate change in the management of national parks Read more »
Revoked Obama-era standards requiring that federal projects consider sea-level rise and other climate impacts Read more »
Revoked an Obama executive order promoting climate resilience in the northern Bering Sea region Read more »
Sped up environmental review process for U.S. Forest Service projects Read more »
Limited the climate and environmental impact analysis of major federal actions Read more »
Changed policy to allow coastal replenishment projects to use sand from protected ecosystems. Read more »
Streamlined Army Corps of Engineers permitting for pipelines and other projects Read more »
Allows construction of a four-lane highway in a protected area home to threatened desert tortoises Read more »
Overturned a Clean Water Act veto of a project that will drain and damage Mississippi wetlands Read more »
Exempted exports of natural gas from environmental reviews Read more »
Nullified the Bureau of Land Management’s updated planning rule Read more
Transparency
Biden has said he will move swiftly to restore the federal government’s reliance on science to inform its policies. That includes taking aim at one of the Environmental Protection Agency’s final acts under Trump: limiting what scientific data can be used in the crafting of public health protections.
Easy to overturn 1
Medium 1
Can be reversed by a simple act, such as signing an executive order or new directive
Can be reversed only through more extensive action, such as rewriting a regulation or court ruling
Limits what scientific studies the Interior Department uses to craft rules Read more »
Curbed funding of environmental and community projects through legal settlements and lawsuits Read more »
Water pollution
President Trump eased restrictions on how companies store coal ash, weakened rules on dumping toxic waste from power plants into waterways and altered which wetlands and streams require federal oversight. Biden has vowed to crack down on legacy pollution, particularly in vulnerable communities, and to prioritize upgrading the nation’s crumbling drinking water infrastructure.
Easy to overturn 3
Medium 5
Difficult 5
Can be reversed by a simple act, such as signing an executive order or new directive
Can be reversed only through more extensive action, such as rewriting a regulation or court ruling
Can only be reversed through a lengthy regulatory process, act of Congress or court ruling
Creates a loophole in the discharge of water pollution, despite Supreme Court ruling Read more »
Proposed limiting the scope of an Obama-era coal ash rule Read more »
Memo allowing the dumping of a toxic PFAS chemicals into nearby waterways Read more »
Delayed electronic reporting requirements for water pollution discharges by five years Read more »
Allowed some coal ash impoundments to keep operating Read more »
Reversed the finding that perchlorate, a toxic chemical, must be regulated nationwide Read more »
Weakens cleanup requirements for the power, oil and gas, and chemical manufacturing industries Read more »
Withdrew a proposed rule requiring groundwater protections in uranium mine operations Read more »
Weakened rules on dumping toxic waste from power plants into waterways Read more »
Extended the operating life of some coal ash ponds leaking toxic waste Read more »
Weakened a Clean Water Act provision that states and tribes used to object to federal project approvals Read more »
Scaled back federal protections for streams, wetlands and other waterways. Read more »
Scrapped Obama rule requiring mining firms to reduce harm to streams Read more »
Wildlife
One of the hallmarks of outgoing Interior Secretary David Bernhardt’s legacy has been the narrowing of safeguards for endangered wildlife. The northern spotted owl, whose forest habitat is disappearing; the Pacific walrus, which faces shrinking sea ice; and the Bryde’s whale, threatened by oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, are likely to receive enhanced protections under Biden.
Easy to overturn 10
Medium 11
Difficult 5
Can be reversed by a simple act, such as signing an executive order or new directive
Can be reversed only through more extensive action, such as rewriting a regulation or court ruling
Can only be reversed through a lengthy regulatory process, act of Congress or court ruling
Withdrew sage grouse protections spanning 10 million acres to allow drilling Read more »
Relaxed environmental protections for salmon and smelt in California’s Central Valley Read more »
Scaled back consultations under the Endangered Species Act Read more »
Proposed seismic testing permit in the refuge would allow disturbance of polar bears Read more »
Proposed allowing the trapping and baiting of brown bears in Alaska’s Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Read more »
Rolled back inter-agency Endangered Species Act consultations on pesticides Read more »
Lifted all commericial fishing limits within the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument Read more »
Withdrew a prohibition on using neonicotinoid pesticides and GMOs in national wildlife refuges Read more »
Made it legal to destroy Canada geese nests year-round Read more »
Lifted ban to allow for some elephant and lion trophy imports Read more »
Prioritized industrial and other uses when making critical habitat designation Read more »
Allowed oil and gas operators to harm marine mammals while during surveys in the Gulf of Mexico Read more »
Shrank the spotted owl’s critical habitat by 3.4 million acres Read more »
Reversed legal interpretation that killing scores birds by accident is subject to prosecution Read more »
Vetoed bipartisan bill phasing out mile-long driftnets that entangle marine mammals and sharks Read more »
Scuttled a recovery site for the endangered black-footed ferret Read more »
Reclassified American burying beetle from endangered to threatened, despite ongoing threats Read more »
Adopted rules with fewer safeguards for Atlantic bluefin tuna Read more »
Weakened rule for shrimp trawl nets that entangle sea turtles Read more »
Overturned a ban on the use of lead ammunition and fishing tackle on federal lands Read more »
Denied Endangered Species Act protections to the Pacific walrus, which is threatened by climate change Read more
Requires consideration of financial impacts in designating critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act Read more »
Narrowed the definition of what constitutes critical habitat for imperiled species Read more »
Reversed Obama-era ban on controversial hunting practices on some lands in Alaska Read more »
Limited when the government identifies habitat as critical for an imperiled species Read more »
Overturned a ban on the hunting of predators in Alaskan wildlife refuges Read more »
Juliet Eilperin is a Pulitzer Prize-winning senior national affairs correspondent for The Washington Post, covering environmental and energy policy. She has written two books, “Demon Fish: Travels Through the Hidden World of Sharks” and “Fight Club Politics: How Partisanship is Poisoning the House of Representatives.”
Brady Dennis is a Pulitzer Prize-winning national reporter for The Washington Post, focusing on the environment and public health. He previously spent years covering the nation’s economy.
John Muyskens is a graphics editor at the Washington Post specializing in data reporting.
