Pirate's Cove

Trump made many promises on rolling back may Obama regulations regarding ‘climate change’ and that stymie domestic energy production. Washington Post writers Juliet Eilperin and Steve Mufson trot out a story based on discussions with, you got it, anonymous sources on what these roll-backs will be, which seem rather legit. Though, of course, painted with an “OMG, doom!” brush

President Trump is preparing executive orders aimed at reversing Obama-era policies on climate and water pollution, according to individuals briefed on the measures.

While both directives will take time to implement, they will send an unmistakable signal that the new administration is determined to promote fossil-fuel production and economic activity even when those activities collide with some environmental safeguards. Individuals familiar with the proposals asked for anonymity to describe them in advance of their announcement, which could come as soon as this week.

People who are out of a job or are making low wages because nothing else is available aren’t too concerned with reducing a bit of carbon dioxide, which, really, has little to do with environmental health in Reality Land.

One executive order, aimed at bolstering American energy independence, will instruct the Environmental Protection Agency to begin rewriting the 2015 regulation that limits greenhouse-gas emissions from existing electric utilities. It also instructs the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to lift a moratorium on federal coal leasing.

The first sounds like the Clean Power Plan, which Trump vowed to kill off. It was placed on hold by a federal judge pending court litigation

A second order will instruct the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers to revamp a 2015 rule, known as the Waters of the United States rule, that applies to 60 percent of the water bodies in the country. That regulation — issued under the 1972 Clean Water Act, which gives the federal government authority over not only major water bodies but also the wetlands, rivers and streams that feed into them — restricts development as well as some farming operations on the grounds that these activities could pollute the smaller or intermittent bodies of water or choke them off altogether.

The rule itself has also already been halted by a federal court after the Obama EPA was sued by cities, states, and individuals, at least until such time as it could be argued in court. The EPA initially stated this would be no big deal, it wouldn’t encroach on farmers, ranchers, private citizens, private and government projects. In fact, they objected so much that you could be sure this was a massive power grab. Do you have an area on your property that ponds or creates a stream after it rains? The EPA would now have control of your land. It’s beyond even the normal federal agency overreach. Rather than reiterate all the problems, read this Daren Bakst article.

If this happens, it is a good start. These rules represent a massive shift in power from the private sector, the cities, counties, and states to the federal government, and, particularly, the EPA. There are more than enough rules on water rights that make the Waters of the U.S. rule unnecessary.

Hopefully, next up will be the demolishing of America’s involvement in the Paris Climate Agreement, which is really Obama’s involvement forcing Everyone Else to be a part.

Crossed at Right Wing News.