Yesterday the OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) announced that it had approved an interim final rule from the Council on Environmental Quality on “Removal of National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Regulations”. The IFR was submitted to OIRA on Sunday, February 16th, 2025.
A Department of Energy website does provide some insights on this IFR. It notes that:
“On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order (E.O.) 14154, Unleashing American Energy, which directed CEQ to propose rescinding CEQ’s NEPA regulations and to provide guidance on implementing NEPA. CEQ has prepared an Interim Final Rule in response to this direction and is requesting public comments. CEQ also has issued initial guidance on implementing NEPA in response to E.O. 14154 [link added].”
An advanced copy of the proposed IFR is available. The actual IFR will probably appear in the Federal Register next week. Additionally, the DOE web site also provides a copy of a memorandum from the CEQ on “Implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act”. This document outlines the requirements for the revisions of agency implementation of NEPA under EO 14154.
Interesting side note. The USA.gov website provides two links to the CEQ; the CEQ website and the CEQ contact information. The first leads to a generic White House landing page (featuring a triumphant photo of the new President) and the second provides a generic White House contact form. This appears to be part of the ongoing effort on the Executive Branch’s updating of the public facing of the federal government.
I will probably not be providing any significant coverage of this rulemaking in this blog. I will, however, include a note on its publication in the appropriate Short Takes post.
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