AG Bonta led a coalition of 14 AGs in submitting a comment letter to the U.S Environmental Protection Agency opposing its proposed rule amending existing EPA regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act. The proposed rule would significantly weaken the implementation of NEPA by limiting the consideration of harmful impacts associated with federal projects, curtailing public involvement in NEPA reviews, and complicating federal and state coordination of environmental review. In the comment letter, the coalition argues that the proposed rule should be withdrawn as it would create significant environmental harm to communities nationwide and lead to less-informed environmental decisions. The coalition also argues that the rule is illegal and violates the Administrative Procedure Act and NEPA. 

“Preserving NEPA’s core protections helps ensure that development proceeds with the public’s confidence, respects affected communities, and leaves a sustainable world for future generations. When environmental impacts are ignored or communities are excluded from the decision-making process — as the Trump Administration is attempting to do with this rule — the detrimental costs do not disappear. They are borne by families living with polluted air and water, by taxpayers paying for preventable cleanup, and by future generations inheriting degraded ecosystems and greater climate risks. We urge the Trump Administration to rethink its course immediately and consider the long-term detrimental effects that would flow to states, tribes, communities, and habitats from this ill-considered proposed rule.” -AG Bonta