Trump Interior Rescinds Four Climate, Conservation Policies

"The Interior Department’s No. 2 official issued a secretarial order just before Christmas rescinding several climate change and conservation policies issued under the Obama administration, saying they were “inconsistent” with President Trump’s quest for energy independence.

Secretarial Order 3360, signed Dec. 22 by Interior Deputy Secretary David Bernhardt, wipes away four separate directives and policy manuals aimed at showing departmental employees how to minimize the environmental impact of activities on federal land and in federal waters. It also calls for the review of a fifth, which applies to the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. Instead, it directs officials to reinstate and update guidance issued during the final year of George W. Bush’s second term by Jan. 22.

The Interior Department aims to mitigate any negative environmental impacts in transparent ways that follow federal law and 'are consistent with direction provided by Congress' with 'a level of certainty to all involved parties,' the order states."

Juliet Eilperin reports for the Washington Post January 5, 2018.