Trump Critics Say NEPA Climate Guide Lets Agencies 'Shirk' Obligations

摘要

Democratic lawmakers and environmental groups are criticizing a draft White House guidance on analyzing greenhouse gases in environmental reviews for allowing agencies to bypass their responsibility to conduct robust studies of a project's lifecycle emissions. For example, Democrats target draft provisions that recommend against a cumulative analysis of GHG emissions, drops a call to consider options to mitigate project-related emissions and states that agencies should not use the social cost of carbon (SCC) climate damage tool to monetize project costs. "The proposed guidance would weaken analysis of project-related GHG emissions and alternative mitigation measures," states Aug. 26 comments from Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Ben Cardin (D-MD).