Trump has created a loophole to allow pipelines to avoid environmental review

President Donald Trump’s administration is about to make it easier for companies to build pipelines, bridges, and roads without an environmental review — opening the door to projects that could pollute the US and accelerate climate change.

The proposed rule, first reported by the New York Times and announced by Trump Thursday, would be the biggest deregulatory change to the 50-year-old National Environmental Policy Act in nearly three decades. Currently, all major federal construction projects must undergo a mandatory review, or environmental impact statement, if they’re expected to have major effects on the surrounding ecosystem. However, the new standard would create a new “non-major” project category, allowing smaller federal infrastructure projects to begin construction without a review.

Trump’s administration — which has waged a widespread campaign to roll back environmental regulations and protections — had hinted this was coming.

“While the goals of NEPA remain the same as they did 50 years ago, the environmental review process designed to improve decision making has become increasingly complex and difficult to navigate,” the White House said in a January 1 statement on the landmark legislation’s anniversary.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-has-created-a-loophole-to-allow-pipelines-to-avoid-environmental-review/ar-BBYNlAC?ocid=msn360

It's only complex because you're a fucking idiot Trump.