The Biden administration has proposed reversing a number of Trump administration changes to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations by requiring federal agencies to evaluate the direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental impacts of projects under environmental review. While the NEPA rules implemented by the Trump administration prioritized expediting the environmental review process, changes favored largely by industry, the Biden administration’s new regulatory proposals intend for agencies to carefully consider environmental justice and climate change. However, legal and political challenges may stall the efforts of the administration to promulgate new rules.

Join the Environmental Law Institute and expert panelists to explore the proposed changes to NEPA, how these rules may impact on climate change policy and environmental justice, and how the administration may overcome obstacles to promulgating new rules.

Panelists:
Kym Hunter, Senior Attorney and Government Accountability Regional Leader, Southern Environmental Law Center
Jim McElfish, Director, Sustainable Use of Land Program, and Senior Attorney, Environmental Law Institute
Tanya C. Nesbitt, Partner, Marten Law LLP