Sarah Mahmood  //  5/7/17  //  Topic Update

President Trump has been sued for trying to rewrite two of President Obama’s decisions that withdrew millions of acres of the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans from future oil and gas speculation; Niko Bowie of Take Care analyzes the case.

Jessica Wentz at the Climate Law Blog argues that leaving the Paris Agreement will increase the risk of litigation for the Administration.

• Congressman Scott Peters makes a case for the Administration to stay in the Paris Agreement at The Hill.

• Ivanka Trump plans to meet with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt next week to discuss the Paris Agreement, reports The Hill.

• The Administration continues to debate pulling out of the Paris Agreement, with much of the negotiations depending on whether a country can hatchet down its commitment without violating the deal (NYT).

President Trump issued an executive order requiring a review of his predecessors' use of the Antiquities Act to create national monuments; it is suspected he will seek to undo existing protections (The Hill).

• On Take Care, Michael Burger argues that Trump's order is unlawful.

• Commentators at Legal Planet also think the order is illegal.

EPA has removed the main climate change page from its website (The Hill).

• On Saturday, a climate march drew large crowds to DC (The Hill, NYT).

The President can paralyze agencies through attrition, by refusing to nominate officers, argues Robert Chesney (Lawfare).

Obama didn't crush U.S. coal and Trump can't save it (Vox).

Scott Pruitt, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, asserted that without coal the country’s electrical grid would be less reliable (The Hill).

Senate Democrats claim an ongoing Department of Energy study is an unnecessary attack on renewable energy in favor of coal and nuclear power (The Hill).

• The letter is here.

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