Diminishing environmental reviews would endanger public health, safety and the environment
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 24, 2025
CONTACT
Dan Radmacher, Media Specialist, (276) 289-1018, dan@appvoices.org
Yesterday, the Department of Interior announced plans to weaken environmental reviews to under a month for a wide range of energy projects, including coal, oil and gas production, transmission and more, by setting unachievable and arbitrary deadlines for completion. This is an attempt to bypass community health and safety laws and deny people who are directly affected by these projects their rights to meaningfully influence the outcome.
The DOI attempts to justify these actions by citing President Donald Trump’s energy emergency executive order, which is based on the false premise that the country is not producing enough energy. In fact, the United States is producing more oil, gas, solar, wind and biomass energy than at any other time in our nation’s history.
Environmental permitting can be a lengthy, complicated process that could be made more efficient so that more energy infrastructure can be brought online to meet projections of future demand while still protecting our land, air and water, and the health and safety of people living near proposed energy projects.
Time and time again, experts have recommended that agencies need more staff and resources to conduct reviews faster. Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has been cutting staff who would do these reviews. If the administration was serious about providing faster environmental reviews while protecting people’s health and safety, it wouldn’t be slashing staff and agency budgets.
Statement by Government Affairs Specialist Kevin Zedack:
“The latest move by this Department of the Interior attempting to weaken environmental review for energy projects like coal mines and methane gas pipelines shows this administration’s willingness to help its fossil fuel executive friends get richer while our communities in Appalachia and across the country pay the price. Energy projects need to come online faster, but not at the expense of the health and safety of our communities. Slashing the environmental review process by this much would cause significant harm.”
