The Biden administration is restoring stricter environmental standards for approving new pipelines, power plants and other construction projects, including requiring consideration of how such projects might affect climate change, The Wall Street Journal reports.
The changes announced Tuesday reinstate National Environmental Policy Act measures removed by former President Donald Trump.
Under the stricter reviews, federal agencies must consider the cumulative impacts that a project or a new proposed federal regulation would have in areas such as air and water quality, wildlife habitat and climate change, according to a White House statement. The new guidelines widen the scope of environmental reviews beyond direct and indirect effects.
The Trump administration had deleted from the regulations the definition of cumulative effects, which called on regulators to take into account long-term impacts such as frequent exposure to toxic air. Environmental groups say the absence of that definition confused regulators on whether to analyze those effects.
The revisions will take effect next month. Read the full story.
