“Trump’s EPA plainly intends to radically restrict protections for our waterways and wetlands,” Andrew Wetzler, NRDC’s nature program senior vice president, said in a written statement. “If it follows through with this plan, the administration will be taking an extreme approach that endangers communities across the country—leaving them more exposed to toxic pollution, dangerous flooding and the contamination of drinking water supplies for tens of millions of people.”
Zeldin and the administration received plaudits for their announcements from Republicans and some industry groups.
“Today’s announcement by the agency outlines a path toward a sensible WOTUS definition that will provide clarity to Wyoming landowners in line with congressional intent and the Supreme Court’s ruling,” said Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY). “I am thrilled to learn that sanity has returned to the EPA.”
The American Petroleum Institute, a trade association representing the U.S oil and gas industry, said that last year’s election gave Trump the mandate to act.
“Voters sent a clear message in support of affordable, reliable and secure American energy, and the Trump administration is answering the call by moving forward on many of the priorities in API’s five-point policy roadmap,” API President and CEO Mike Sommers said in a written statement. “As this regulatory process moves forward, we are committed to working with Secretary Zeldin on commonsense policies that advance American energy dominance.”
But Ben Jealous, executive director of the Sierra Club, said such corporate supporters of the president were the only ones who stood to benefit from the rollbacks, which he pledged his organization would fight “tooth and nail.”
“Donald Trump’s actions will cause thousands of Americans to die each year,” Jealous said. “It will send thousands of children to the hospital and force even more to miss school. It will pollute the air and water in communities across the country. And it will cause our energy bills to go up even more than they already are because of his disastrous policies. But as they put all of us at risk, Trump and his administration are celebrating because it will help corporate polluters pad their profit margin.”
Inside Climate News reporter Dan Gearino contributed to this report.
This story originally appeared on Inside Climate News.
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