Rollback of NEPA
Tracker entry and action guide
Summary
The administration has weakened NEPA, the federal law that requires federal agencies to analyze environmental impacts of proposed actions and involve the public in decision making.
What's Happening
NEPA Overview: NEPA is the “look before you leap” law for the federal government. The law requires agencies to study environmental impacts, consider alternatives, and take public comment before approving major federal actions. It applies to projects that: a) are on federal lands; b) that impact "waters of the US" (i.e. wetlands, lakes, rivers), or c) that receive federal funding.
Rulebook Scrapped: In February 2025, the Trump administration scrapped the single national NEPA rulebook and told each agency to draft its own interim rules instead. It also removed government-wide guidance for reviewing climate impacts.
Complex Patchwork: On July 3, agencies released their own interim rules for implementing NEPA. This has created a complex patchwork of rules that have more loopholes, less public involvement, and no consideration for climate change.
Rulemaking Process: The rulemaking process continues as agencies develop and approve their final rules for implementing NEPA We will keep you updated about future windows to submit public comments.
Why It Matters
Less Guardrails: It is now easier for agencies to skip or shrink reviews. With agency-by-agency rules, there are fewer common guardrails and more room to say “that impact is outside our scope.”
Less Public Input: The new rules mean fewer, murkier chances for the public to weigh in. One clear national process has become many different ones. This makes it harder for communities to track what's happening and influence the process.
Climate Impacts Ignored: By removing the federal climate-review guidance, the administration has made it easier to downplay or omit greenhouse-gas analysis.
Who Benefits: The new rules enable the administration to speed up approval of pipelines, ports, mining, logging, and highway construction.
How To Help
Multiple organizations have submitted formal comments opposing the NEPA changes. This including Earthjustice, National Congress of American Indians, and Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks. You can follow these organizations or subscribe to our email alerts to get notified about future windows for submitting public comments.
