By Rebecca Boone
The coalition of 15 states has called for President Donald Trump’s efforts to quickly track energy-related projects, saying the administration bypasses environmental laws and threatens endangered species, critical habitats and cultural resources.
Trump issued an executive order declaring a “national energy emergency” on the first day of his presidency. The order will encourage the expansion of oil and gas through federal use of prominent domains and the Defense Production Act, allowing governments to use private land and resources to produce goods that are deemed a national need.
These types of measures are to be booked for actual emergencies, including projects needed in the aftermath of disasters such as hurricanes, floods and major oil spills, the Attorney General wrote in a lawsuit filed Friday in Washington State.
But now, Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown and other plaintiffs said agencies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Interior Department are bypassing necessary reviews under federal laws such as the Cleanwater Act and the Endangered Species Species Act.
The Attorney General said reliable and affordable electricity is extremely important to the country, but noted that the US energy production is already the highest ever.
“The executive order is illegal, and it writes an order that federal agencies ignore the law and that their own regulations on widespread categories of activities will often result in damage to water, wetlands, wetlands, important habitats, historical and cultural resources, at-risk species, people and wildlife that rely on these valuable resources.
“The shortcuts inherent in running through the emergency process fundamentally undermine the rights of the state,” the Attorney General said, saying the federal Cleanwater Act recognises the right to protect water quality within his own borders.
They hope that federal judges will declare executive orders illegally and prohibit agencies from pursuing emergency permits for non-emergency projects.
The White House could not immediately comment.
Brown and California Attorney General Rob Bonta led the lawsuit and signed by Attorney Generals of Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.
Original issue: May 9, 2025, 4:16pm EDT
