President Donald Trump signed an executive order on April 9 requiring agencies that regulate energy and the environment to add sunset dates to their regulations after which the rules will effectively expire.
The executive order applies to the:
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Department of Energy
- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- Nuclear Regulatory Commission
- Five Department of Interior agencies:
- Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
- Bureau of Land Management
- Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
- Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement
- Fish and Wildlife Service
For most agencies, particular statutes were listed in the order applied to. The order also stated, “To the extent consistent with applicable law, each of the Covered Agencies shall issue a sunset rule, effective not later than September 30, 2025, that inserts a Conditional Sunset Date into each of their Covered Regulations.”
For the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers, the order stated, “Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Administrator of the EPA and Secretary of the Army shall provide to the President, through the Director of the Oice of Management and Budget (OMB Director), a list of statutes vesting EPA and ACE with regulatory authority that shall be subject to this order.”
The executive order was titled “Zero-Based Regulatory Budgeting to Unleash American Energy.” Before listing the impacted agencies, it said, “By rescinding outdated regulations that serve as a drag on progress, we can stimulate innovation and deliver prosperity to everyday Americans.”
Click here to read the executive order.