CBF Condemns Trump Executive Order Undermining Environmental, Public Comment Protections in Permitting Process

(WASHINGTON, DC)—The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) today denounced the Trump administration’s emergency executive order allowing federal agencies to waive the consultation requirements of bedrock environmental laws to speed up the permitting process for major construction projects like pipelines and highways.

Laws such as the National Environmental Policy Act help ensure the federal government listens to the public and considers a range of alternatives to avoid harming local communities and the air, water, land, and other natural resources vital to their health and economic prosperity.

Federal Executive Director Jason Rano issued the following statement:

“The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is disappointed but unsurprised that the Trump administration is again using the pandemic as cover to weaken bedrock environmental laws. These laws protect our environment and empower citizens to speak out against projects that would harm their communities and their health.

“The administration is undermining the law that gives citizens, and particularly communities of color, a powerful tool to combat environmental injustice. CBF condemns this effort to deny our shared rights to a clean, healthy environment and to an inclusive process for protecting our communities from harm.”