Dive Brief:
- President Trump is expected to issue orders next week that will begin the process of striking the Clean Power Plan and ending a moratorium on new coal mining on federal lands.
- The move to roll back the Obama administration's signature climate initiative has been widely expected, but other actions have so far come first. This week, Trump signed executive order directing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider a controversial water protection rule.
- Additionally, CNN reports it has new details on cuts expected at the EPA. The news outlet says more than a dozen greenhouse gas programs could be eliminated under Trump's budget proposal to Congress.
Dive Insight:
Since President Trump's inauguration in January, the energy industry has been waiting for a series of executive orders from the White House to review the Clean Power Plan and restrictions on coal production on federal lands.
The bulk of those energy orders are now expected next week, according to Reuters. A White House official told the news outlet that “rescinding federal coal leasing moratorium is part of that executive order, which has lots of different components, including the Clean Power Plan."
And CNN has new details on cuts planned at the EPA: The agency's Environmental Justice program is expected to be eliminated, as well as Global Change Research, and 14 partnership programs targeting emissions. Also on the block are some grants including Energy Star grants and the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act.
CNN also appeared to confirm plans to cut the agency's budget by about a quarter, and slash the workforce 20%. The agency's budget will reportedly be cut from $8.1 billion to $6.1 billion. Environmentalists say they do not believe the EPA would be able to deliver on its major functions under the proposed budget reductions.
Bloomberg previously reported those staffing and funding reductions would not affect EPA grants to state, local and tribal governments, however, which account for about 40% of the agency budget. That could mean deeper cuts could be in store for EPA enforcement efforts.
