(WASHINGTON, DC)—A federal court today threw out the Trump EPA’s rule limiting the agency’s access to the best available science. The ruling comes less than a month after the Trump administration rushed it into effect on January 5.
Attorneys for the Biden administration urged the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana to vacate the rule on January 31 after the court’s January 27 finding that EPA wrongly made the rule effective immediately, rather than waiting the required 30 days.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) denounced the final rule last month for undermining the role of science in drafting environmental protections vital to restoring the Chesapeake Bay and its waterways. CBF also filed comments opposing the rule when it was first proposed in 2018.
CBF Vice President for Environmental Protection & Restoration Alison Prost issued the following statement about the ruling:
“The Chesapeake Bay Foundation welcomes the court’s finding that the Trump EPA improperly argued the rule was only procedural, not substantive, and that it unlawfully rushed this dangerous rule into effect. It is a necessary rebuke of the Trump administration’s reckless last-minute push to finalize anti-science regulations before leaving office.
“CBF appreciates the Biden administration’s quick action to get this rule revoked. Allowed to stand, it could have weakened air and water protections essential to restoring the Bay and its waterways by the 2025 deadline.
“CBF applauds the Biden administration’s commitment to scientific integrity. We look forward to working with the new team at EPA to restore sound science to its role as the foundation for all regulatory decisions.”
Washington, D.C. Communications & Media Relations Manager, CBF
[email protected]
202-793-4485
