“EPA will be reconsidering many suffocating rules that restrict nearly every sector of our economy and cost Americans trillions of dollars,” Lee Zeldin said in a video posted to X.
The Trump administration has unveiled a sweeping rollback of environmental regulations, with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) planning to take 31 major actions aimed at deregulation. The announcement was made on Wednesday by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, who described it as "the largest deregulatory announcement in US history."
"EPA will be reconsidering many suffocating rules that restrict nearly every sector of our economy and cost Americans trillions of dollars," Zeldin said in a video posted to X.
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View on XIn an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, Zeldin proclaimed that the slashes mark the end of the Green New Deal: "Today marks the death of the Green New Scam. The EPA recognizes that environmental protection and economic prosperity aren’t mutually exclusive goals. Under President Trump’s leadership, we are recommitting to the core American values of innovation, growth, exceptionalism and opportunity.
"Critics may claim that these changes signal a retreat from environmental protection. Nothing could be further from the truth. Under the Trump administration, the EPA’s core mission remains safeguarding human health and the environment. The difference lies in how we achieve these goals—through partnership rather than prescriptive bureaucracy, through collaboration rather than regulation."
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View on XAccording to an EPA press release, the planned actions include revisiting regulations on pollution at power plants, environmental rules for the oil and gas industry, wastewater regulations for coal power plants, and restrictions on hazardous air pollutants such as mercury from coal plants. Zeldin emphasized that these moves will lower regulatory costs by trillions of dollars and ease the financial burden on American households.
"From the campaign trail to day one and beyond, President Trump has delivered on his promise to unleash energy dominance and lower the cost of living. We at EPA will do our part to power the Great American comeback," Zeldin stated.
While environmentalists strongly opposed the announcement, trade groups representing the oil and gas industry and business interests praised the administration’s efforts, reports WWNYTV.
"Voters sent a clear message in support of affordable, reliable, and secure American energy, and the Trump administration is answering the call," said Mike Sommers, president of the American Petroleum Institute.
Marty Durbin, Senior Vice President at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, also welcomed the changes, arguing that past regulations had driven up costs for businesses and families.
"American businesses were crippled with an unprecedented regulatory onslaught during the previous administration that contributed to higher costs felt by families around the country," Durbin said. "The Chamber supports a more balanced regulatory approach that will protect the environment and support greater economic growth."
The full list of the announced deregulatory actions is available on the EPA’s website.
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