Business & Policy Environmental Policy 48 Environmental Rules the White House Is Working to Undo By Melissa Breyer Editorial Director Hunter College F.I.T., State University of New York Cornell University Melissa Breyer is Treehugger’s editorial director. She is a sustainability expert and author whose work has been published by the New York Times and National Geographic, among others. our editorial process Melissa Breyer Updated October 11, 2018 via. Neal Boenzi/Wikimedia Commons. A photo of the 1966 New York City smog as seen from the Empire State Building on November 24, 1966. Share Twitter Pinterest Email Business & Policy Corporate Responsibility Environmental Policy Economics Food Issues In the latest installment of 'A Death by 1000 Cuts,' a New York TImes analysis lists the Earth-loving rules that Washington is seeking to reverse. TreeHugger generally stays away from politics; focusing on the green rather than the red, white, and blue. There are political analysts and journalists who can take care of that while we focus on matters of sustainability. But sometimes the two overlap in a way that makes it impossible to ignore. (And strangely enough, those "sometimes" have been occurring more frequently since January 2017.) This is one of those times. Well actually, it's an ongoing story, but when The New York TImes puts it all together so succinctly, it feels like an event in and of itself. Reporters Nadja Popovich and Livia Albeck-Ripka have compiled a list of environmental rules that the Trump administration has sought to reverse. It is stunning and exceedingly disconcerting. They write: "Since taking office in January, President Trump has made eliminating federal regulations a priority. His administration – with help from Republicans in Congress – has often targeted environmental rules it sees as overly burdensome to the fossil fuel industry, including major Obama-era policies aimed at fighting climate change." Here's their summary: 24 rules that have been overturned 1. Flood building standards2. Ban on chlorpyrifos, a potentially harmful pesticide3. Freeze on new coal leases on public lands4. Methane reporting requirement5. Anti-dumping rule for coal companies6. Decision on Keystone XL pipeline7. Decision on Dakota Access pipeline8. Third-party settlement funds9. Offshore drilling ban in the Atlantic and Arctic10. Ban on seismic air gun testing in the Atlantic11. Northern Bering Sea climate resilience plan12. Royalty regulations for oil, gas and coal13. Inclusion of greenhouse gas emissions in environmental reviews14. Permit-issuing process for new infrastructure projects15. Green Climate Fund contributions16. Mining restrictions in Bristol Bay, Alaska17. Grizzly bear listing as endangered species18. Hunting ban on wolves and grizzly bears in Alaska19. Protection of whales and sea turtles20. Reusable water bottles rule for national parks21. National parks climate order22. Calculation for “social cost” of carbon23. Planning rule for public lands24. Copper filter cake listing as hazardous waste 17 rollbacks that are in progress 1. Clean Power Plan2. Paris climate agreement3. Wetland and tributary protections4. Car and truck fuel-efficiency standards5. Status of 10 national monuments6. Status of 12 marine areas7. Limits on toxic discharge from power plants8. Coal ash discharge regulations9. Emissions standards for new, modified and reconstructed power plants10. Emissions rules for power plant start-up and shutdown11. Sage grouse habitat protections12. Fracking regulations on public lands13. Oil rig safety regulations14. Regulations for offshore oil and gas exploration by floating vessels15. Exploratory drilling in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge16. Hunting method regulations in Alaska17. Emissions standards for trailers and glider kits 7 rollbacks that are in limbo 1. Methane emission limits at new oil and gas wells2. Limits on landfill emissions3. Mercury emission limits for power plants4. Hazardous chemical facility regulations5. Groundwater protections for uranium mines6. Efficiency standards for federal buildings7. Rule helping consumers buy fuel-efficient tires 5 rules reinstated after legal challenges On the brighter-ish side, at least five other rules have been reinstated after legal challenges. Environmental groups have sued the administration over a number of rollbacks, in these cases, they've been successful. 1. Reinstated rule limiting methane emissions on public lands2. Reinstated a requirement for reporting emissions on federal highways3. Delayed by one year a compliance deadline for new ozone pollution standards4. Delayed publishing efficiency standards for household appliances5. Reinstated rule limiting the discharge of mercury by dental offices into municipal sewers It may come as little surprise that the Environmental Protection Agency has been involved in one-third of the policy reversals listed here, given that E.P.A. head Scott Pruitt has "met almost daily with industry executives and lobbyists," notes The Times, adding: "As Oklahoma’s attorney general, Mr. Pruitt sued the agency he now oversees more than a dozen times to try to block Obama-era rules."