--- title: "Expected Environmental Priorities of the Second Trump Administration" canonicalUrl: "https://wyche.com/insights/blog/posts/expected-environmental-priorities-of-the-second-trump-administration/" excerpt: "On November 5, Donald Trump was re-elected as President. He announced that he has selected Former New York Congressman Lee Zeldin to head the nation’s leading environmental agency, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). What can we expect from a second Trump Administration in environmental law? Based on President-Elect Trump’s campaign platform,[1] his actions during…
Read More" datePublished: "2024-11-12T11:46:53-05:00" dateModified: "2024-11-12T11:56:26-05:00" --- - Expected Environmental Priorities of the Second Trump Administration ** [Home](https://wyche.com/) » Expected Environmental Priorities of the Second Trump Administration [** Rita Bolt Barker](https://wyche.com/author/rbarker/) ** ** ** # Expected Environmental Priorities of the Second Trump Administration On November 5, Donald Trump was re-elected as President. He announced that he has selected Former New York Congressman Lee Zeldin to head the nation’s leading environmental agency, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). What can we expect from a second Trump Administration in environmental law? Based on President-Elect Trump’s campaign platform,[[1]](#_ftn1) his actions during his first term, and Zeldin’s votes from his term in Congress, we can expect the following: - Regulatory Rollbacks**: President-Elect Trump has promised aggressive deregulatory efforts. For example, a second Trump Administration may relax regulations on methane emissions, fracking, and drilling to allow expanded and expedited traditional energy production, including on public lands, aimed at establishing what he describes as “energy dominance.” Asked what his priorities would be on day one, Zeldin reiterated President-Elect Trump’s commitment to “energy dominance” and praised “the opportunity to roll back regulations that are forcing businesses to…struggle.”[[2]](#_ftn2) - **Withdrawal from the Paris Agreement**: The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change, which sets a goal to limit the average global temperature to less than 2º Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The 2015 Agreement was adopted by 196 parties, including the U.S. In President Trump’s first term, he withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Agreement. President Biden recommitted the U.S. to the Paris Agreement. President-Elect Trump is expected to again withdraw the country from the Agreement in his second term. - **Limiting EPA Resources**: President-Elect Trump is likely to attempt to reduce the influence of the EPA by reducing its budget, which could decrease EPA enforcement activity, decrease the Biden Administration’s emphasis on environmental justice considerations, and usher in more activity at the state level. While in Congress, Zeldin voted against a Republican amendment that would have slashed funding to the EPA, so he may counsel against significant cuts to the agency’s budget. - **Defunding Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA)**: President-Elect Trump has criticized the Biden-era IRA and has pledged to rescind the remaining funding available under the IRA, although these efforts may be tempered by bipartisan support for particular projects. - **Less Administrative Agency Deference**: The U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2024 holding in *Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo[**[3]**](#_ftn3)* reversed the longstanding *Chevron* doctrine that provided significant deference to agencies’ statutory interpretations. The Second Trump Administration is likely to leverage this recent decision to challenge agency actions that it deems inconsistent with its priorities, such as the EPA’s motor vehicle emissions standards. While the Second Trump Administration is likely to significantly alter federal environmental priorities, companies that do business internationally and/or in states with more stringent environmental laws, like California, or companies that have strong market reasons for pursuing environmental initiatives, may stay the course.   [[1]](#_ftnref1) [Platform | Donald J. Trump](https://www.donaldjtrump.com/platform); [Agenda47: America Must Have the #1 Lowest Cost Energy and Electricity on Earth | Agenda47 | Donald J. Trump](https://www.donaldjtrump.com/agenda47/agenda47-america-must-have-the-1-lowest-cost-energy-and-electricity-on-earth) [[2]](#_ftnref2) [Trump picks GOP former congressman Lee Zeldin to lead the EPA | CNN Politics](https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/11/politics/lee-zeldin-epa-administrator/index.html); [Trump taps former New York Congressman Lee Zeldin to lead EPA | Fox News](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-taps-former-new-york-congressman-lee-zeldin-lead-epa) [[3]](#_ftnref3) [22-451 Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo (06/28/2024)](https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf/22-451_7m58.pdf) * # Rita Bolt Barker Rita Bolt Barker is an experienced practitioner in environmental compliance and related litigation. Rita has broad environmental experience helping clients navigate the wide range of laws that protect our natural resources.  She is a trusted, reliable partner for businesses, governmental entities, and individuals who need a steady guide through the ins and outs of environmental compliance and litigation. Rita delivers results for clients who need assistance in investigating and responding to permitting challenges, as well as in responding to requests for information and enforcement actions before administrative agencies, including the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. She advises clients on assessing environmental risks and incentives associated with corporate transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, and real estate deals.  In the real estate context, Rita has experience securing and enforcing conservation easements and redeveloping brownfield properties through South Carolina’s Voluntary Cleanup Contract program. Rita has advised clients on matters arising under the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the SC Pollution Control  Act. Rita is a Fellow in the American College of Environmental Lawyers, is recognized by Chambers USA*, and serves as chair of the American Bar Association Section of the Environment, Energy, and Resources Environmental Transactions and Brownfields Committee. Rita has taught Administrative Law at Clemson University and Environmental Law at Furman University. 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