Updates | The Week of May 8, 2017
Eve Levin // 5/14/17 //
How will the D.C. Circuit resolve the pending Clean Power Plan case? Nick Parillo offers thoughts at Notice & Comment.
The courts shouldn’t give President Trump cover to leave the Clean Power Plan, writes Brianne Gorod (Notice & Comment).
EPA Chief Scott Pruitt has recused himself from key lawsuits challenging Obama-era rules against the Agency (NYT, The Hill).
Trump Administration officials again postponed a meeting on the Paris Climate Agreement (The Hill).
- The Administration is deflecting questions from foreign nations on the future of U.S. climate change policy (The Hill).
- Secretary of State Rex Tillerson signed an agreement recognizing the Paris Climate Change Accord, but he said President Trump is not rushing to decide whether to leave or weaken U.S. commitments (Reuters).
- President Trump met with former Vice President Al Gore to discuss the climate agreement (The Hill).
- President Trump will gain no practical advantage from leaving the Paris Climate Agreements, argues David Roberts at Vox.
- Leaving the Paris Climate Change Agreement would have a significant impact on the world, writes Lucas Isakowitz at Fusion.
- France’s new President, Emmanuel Macron, threw his support behind the agreement (ClimateWire).
The EPA Administrator dismissed half of the scientific advisers on key Board of Scientific Counselors (WaPo, The Hill).
Twenty-seven national monuments could lose their protected status due to an executive order signed by President Trump last month (The Hill).
- Friday marked the start of the comment period for the Interior Department’s review of a number of National Monuments, noted Eric Biber at Legal Planet.
- The argument that Obama-era monument designations are new or inappropriate is a false narrative, argues Sean B. Hecht at Legal Planet.
President Trump plans to nominate Neil Chatterjee and Robert Powelsonto the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (The Hill).
The Senate unexpectedly retained an Obama-era rule requiring companies to limit methane emissions on federal lands (Ars Technica).