Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown has joined a coalition of 14 attorneys general urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to withdraw a proposed rule that would change how the agency implements the National Environmental Policy Act.
The coalition argues that the proposed rule would weaken environmental reviews by limiting the consideration of harmful impacts from federal projects, reducing opportunities for public participation and complicating coordination between federal and state agencies.
In a comment letter submitted to the EPA, the attorneys general said the changes could cause significant environmental harm and result in federal decisions being made without a complete understanding of their effects on nearby communities.
The coalition also contends that the proposed rule violates both NEPA and the Administrative Procedure Act.
Enacted in 1969, NEPA requires federal agencies to thoroughly evaluate the environmental effects of major federal actions and provide opportunities for public input. The EPA also reviews environmental impact statements prepared by other federal agencies for major energy, transportation and infrastructure projects.
According to the coalition, the proposed rule would:
- Reduce the ability of communities to raise concerns about environmental and public health risks associated with major federal projects.
- Abandon long-standing standards for public participation and environmental review without providing adequate justification.
- Exclude indirect and cumulative impacts from environmental reviews, potentially creating confusion, weakening oversight and allowing major sources of greenhouse gas emissions to go unchecked.
Attorney General Brown was joined by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.
