Arrogance, Haste, Ineptitude - Shitstain's Environmental "Policies" Wide-Open To Legal Challenge
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The Trump administration’s initial plan to open up the Atlantic, Pacific and Alaskan coasts to drilling, though controversial, largely adhered to the requirements of the 1953 Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, which governs opening waters to offshore drilling. But the decision to exempt Florida, without holding legally required public hearings or providing a scientific justification, may have thrown the broader drilling plan into question, experts say.
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Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina said that his state would sue the Trump administration if it did not receive an exemption. “If you base it on the criteria for Florida, you’re going to get the same result when it comes to North Carolina,” Mr. Cooper, a Democrat, said in an interview. Trump administration policymakers “have the legal right to open up the entire coast to drilling, if they follow the process,” said David Hayes, the deputy Interior Secretary under the Obama administration. “His lawyers must be cringing,” he said of Mr. Zinke. “They may have shot themselves in the foot."
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The Obama-era plans “had been exhaustively developed, with lots of input, including by governors,” Ms. Scarlett said. “By going back to the drawing board, even if the idea is to benefit economies of states, it’s just injecting more delay and uncertainty into the picture.” On other moves, Mr. Zinke may have bypassed requirements of the 1970 National Environmental Policy Act, which requires that federal-agency decisions that could have an environmental impact on the nation’s air, water, or pristine wildlife habitats must include a scientific analysis detailing the effects.
Last week, Mr. Zinke approved a land swap allowing the construction of a long-contested road through Alaska’s Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, reversing a decision made under the Obama administration. The earlier decision was based on a four-year scientific analysis concluding that the road would irreparably harm critical waterfowl habitat. In reversing the decision, Mr. Zinke offered no new public scientific analysis supporting the change. Traditionally, findings like those would be publicly available. Speaking to reporters last week, Mr. Zinke said, “We looked at everything,” adding: “There is no significant issue the Department of Interior has found environmentally.” Asked for a copy of the findings, Mr. Zinke suggested making a Freedom of Information Act request.
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https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/31/climate/trump-zinke-environmental-rollback.html