Biden Weakens Industry Shield From Federal Environment Guidance

摘要

White House environmental officials are removing a Trump administration hurdle designed to limit the influence of their guidance on industry and to remind the public that it isn't legally binding. The new approach, announced Tuesday by the Council on Environmental Quality, won't by itself open the floodgates to new guidance documents, according to the announcement. Instead, it will give CEQ more "flexibility" when deciding when and how to publish guidance. It's the latest in a slew of Biden administration efforts to roll back Trump's environmental actions and weave climate considerations into how agencies across government regulate. Guidance documents are routine for agencies and often written to help industries comply with complex rules. They aren't legally binding but often can serve as the basis for enforcement against companies. Republicans and some business groups have called them a back-door means of regulation, such as when the CEQ directed agencies during the Obama administration to consider climate impacts when deciding whether to grant a project a permit.