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Attorneys general

Illinois Attorney General Joins Coalition to Oppose Rollback of National Environmental Policy Act Regulations

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The Illinois Attorney General, Kwame Raoul, has joined a coalition of 18 attorneys general in submitting comment letters to federal agencies urging them to refrain from implementing proposed rules that would rescind regulations for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The coalition argues that the new rules would create significant environmental harm, reduce public participation, and lead to less-informed environmental decisions.

Key Takeaways:

  • The coalition of 18 attorneys general submitted comment letters to several federal agencies, including the Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Department of the Interior, and Department of Transportation.
  • The proposed rules would eliminate NEPA regulations and replace them with non-binding procedures, allowing polluting projects to move forward without full consideration of environmental and health risks.
  • The attorneys general argue that excluding indirect and cumulative impacts from environmental reviews would create confusion in federal project planning, undermine consistent environmental oversight, and allow significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions to go unchecked.
  • The coalition claims that the new rules violate the Administrative Procedure Act and will lead to violations of NEPA.
  • The attorneys general represented states from across the country, including Illinois, Arizona, California, Colorado, and Washington, among others.
  • Harris County in Texas also joined the coalition in submitting comment letters.
  • The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is one of the nation's foremost environmental statutes, enacted in 1969.
  • NEPA requires federal agencies to consider the environmental impacts of proposed actions, alternatives, and mitigation measures before undertaking major federal actions.
  • The rollbacks of NEPA regulations would strip communities of their voice and protection, allowing polluting projects to move forward without consideration of environmental and health risks.

Statistics:

  • 18 attorneys general joined the coalition in submitting comment letters to federal agencies.
  • The coalition represents states from across the country, including Illinois (1), Arizona (1), California (1), Colorado (1), and Washington (1), among others.
  • Harris County in Texas (1) also joined the coalition in submitting comment letters.
  • The proposed rules would affect numerous federal actions, including energy and infrastructure projects, management of federal public lands, and other areas requiring compliance with NEPA.
  • NEPA was enacted in 1969, making it one of the nation's foremost environmental statutes.
  • The Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Department of the Interior, and Department of Transportation are among the federal agencies addressed in the comment letters.

Sources:

  • Office of the Illinois Attorney General
  • Harris County, Texas
  • National Environmental Policy Act of 1969

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