Trump’s First 100 Days: How Executive Actions Reshaped U.S. Environmental Policy

[Administrator]

Trump’s First 100 Days: Big Changes to America’s Environmental Policy

During his first 100 days as President, Donald Trump made major changes to the country’s environmental policies. Through a series of executive actions, President Trump rolled back many rules that were put in place by the previous administration under President Obama. These early moves focused on loosening regulations, promoting energy production in the U.S., and cutting back the powers of federal agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Freezing New Rules on Day One

On his very first day in office, January 20, 2017, President Trump issued a memorandum to stop all new or pending regulations until his administration could review them. This "regulatory freeze" included several environmental rules that had not yet started. The freeze was meant to give President Trump and his team time to review and possibly change or cancel regulations before they became law.

Cutting Regulations: The “Two Out, One In” Order

Just days later, President Trump signed an executive order with a simple rule:

• For every new regulation made, two existing ones had to be eliminated.

The goal was to reduce what the administration called “regulatory burdens” on businesses, especially in industries like energy production and manufacturing. Many business leaders supported this move, saying it would help companies grow and create more jobs. However, environmental groups worried that important protections might be lost.

Energy Independence and Economic Growth Order

One of the most important moves came on March 28, 2017, when President Trump signed the Executive Order on Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth. This order told federal agencies to review — and possibly remove — rules that could make it harder to develop American energy sources such as oil, natural gas, coal, and nuclear power.

Here’s what the order did:

• Directed agencies to find and remove rules that “burden” energy development
• Ordered the EPA to review the Clean Power Plan, a major rule from the Obama era that aimed to reduce carbon pollution from power plants
• Allowed the EPA to suspend, revise, or even get rid of the Clean Power Plan if they found it necessary

The Clean Power Plan was a key part of President Obama’s climate change policy. By targeting this rule, President Trump made it clear that he wanted to move away from policies focused on fighting climate change and instead support traditional energy jobs.

Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines Get Green Light

Another big change was President Trump’s support for two controversial oil pipelines: the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines. On January 24, 2017, he signed memoranda to:

• Invite TransCanada, the company behind Keystone XL, to reapply to build the pipeline
• Direct the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to speed up the review and approval of the Dakota Access pipeline

The Obama administration had blocked or delayed both projects over environmental concerns and protests from Native American tribes and environmental groups. President Trump’s actions cleared the way for construction to move forward, saying these projects would create jobs and help the American economy.

Reviewing the Clean Water Act Rule

The Trump administration also started the process of changing the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule. This rule decides which lakes, rivers, and streams are under federal protection as part of the Clean Water Act. On February 28, 2017, President Trump ordered the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers to review the WOTUS rule and consider a narrower definition of which waters should be protected.

This action followed the opinion of Justice Antonin Scalia from a Supreme Court case, Rapanos v. United States, which suggested a more limited view of what counts as “navigable waters.” Supporters said this would help landowners and farmers, but critics warned it could lead to more pollution in streams and wetlands.

Climate Change Guidance and EPA Budget Cuts

Along with these major orders, the Trump administration:

• Withdrew government guidance documents about how to consider climate change in decisions and enforcement
• Proposed a budget for 2018 that would cut funding for the EPA and other environmental programs by billions of dollars

The proposed cuts were some of the largest ever suggested for the EPA. Supporters said the cuts would make the agency more efficient, while environmentalists argued they would hurt efforts to clean up air and water pollution.

Setting the Stage for More Changes

In summary, President Trump’s first 100 days were marked by a strong push to roll back environmental regulations and support domestic energy production. Many of these actions reversed key parts of President Obama’s environmental legacy. While supporters said these moves would boost the economy and create jobs, critics worried they would put the country’s air, water, and climate at risk.

These early actions set the stage for even more changes in the months and years ahead, as the Trump administration continued its efforts to reshape U.S. environmental policy for the future.