WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Department of the Interior has finalized sweeping changes to how it conducts environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act, while separately promoting new energy, mining, wildfire, and invasive species initiatives aligned with President Donald J. Trump’s policy agenda.
What This Means for You
- Federal environmental reviews for projects on public lands are expected to move faster under revised NEPA procedures.
- Oil, gas, coal, and critical minerals projects could see shorter timelines and fewer regulatory steps.
- Interior says environmental review will continue, but much of its prior regulatory framework has been rescinded or moved into internal guidance.
NEPA Procedures Rewritten
On Monday, Interior announced it had completed reforms to its NEPA procedures. NEPA is a federal law requiring agencies to evaluate environmental impacts before approving major projects.
Interior said it rescinded more than 80 percent of its prior NEPA regulations, shifting most detailed procedures into a streamlined Departmental NEPA Handbook. The remaining regulations outline when and how the department must comply with NEPA and which type of review process applies to a given decision.
Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said the changes are intended to reduce delays and refocus the law on what he described as its original purpose. “We are cutting unnecessary bureaucracy, speeding up approvals, and putting Americans back to work, while enforcing NEPA as Congress originally intended,” Burgum said.
Interior said the revisions follow the White House Council on Environmental Quality’s decision to rescind its own NEPA regulations, allowing agencies to update internal procedures.
The department said the changes will apply to energy development, critical minerals, grazing permits, infrastructure, wildfire mitigation, water projects, and conservation efforts on public lands. It estimates the revisions could save hundreds of millions of dollars over time by shortening review timelines and reducing paperwork.
Interior stated that environmental review will remain in place and that the department will continue coordinating with tribes, state and local governments, and other federal partners.
Energy and Resource Development Initiatives
In a separate statement Tuesday following President Trump’s State of the Union address, Interior highlighted actions taken during the first year of the President’s second term.
The department reported that oil and gas lease sales conducted by the Bureau of Land Management generated $356.6 million in the first year of the term. It also cited offshore lease sales and new policies to increase offshore oil production.
Interior said it ended the requirement to prepare environmental impact statements for approximately 3,224 oil and gas leases covering 3.5 million acres in seven Western states. An environmental impact statement is the most detailed level of NEPA review and is typically required for projects expected to significantly affect the environment.
The department also reported four coal lease sales in 2025, generating $47 million and offering 82.4 million tons of coal for development. In September, it announced the opening of 13.1 million additional acres of federal land for coal leasing.
On critical minerals, Interior cited the release of the Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals and a report outlining a model to assess how supply chain disruptions could affect the U.S. economy.
Interior also pointed to a 132 percent tariff on Russian mineral imports announced in February by the Commerce Department, following requests from Montana lawmakers. Sibanye-Stillwater, which operates platinum and palladium mines in Montana, said the tariff would help level the market but indicated full operations would not resume this year.
Wildfire and Public Safety Actions
Interior announced steps to establish a U.S. Wildland Fire Service and permanent pay increases for federal and tribal wildland firefighters.
The department also highlighted law enforcement activity in Washington, D.C., stating that more than 8,700 criminal arrests were made as part of a federal safety initiative and that more than 80 homeless encampments were removed from federal lands by U.S. Park Police.
Invasive Species Report
On Thursday, Interior released a report summarizing five years of efforts to prevent and control invasive species on public lands and waters.
The report described expanded prevention measures at borders and recreation sites, use of drone surveys and environmental DNA testing for early detection, and large-scale control efforts targeting invasive plants and animals.
Interior said it treated hundreds of thousands of acres of invasive plants and increased coordination with states, tribes, and local governments. The department also cited efforts to prevent invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes, including targeted barriers and monitoring systems.
Montana Mining Visit
Also Thursday, Secretary Burgum and Rep. Ryan Zinke visited Montana Tech University in Butte to tour mineral research facilities and participate in a roundtable discussion on mining jobs and domestic mineral production.
Interior said $13 million in proposed federal funding could support technology to extract critical minerals from the Berkeley Pit, a former open-pit copper mine site in Butte.
Participants at the roundtable included state and local officials, university leaders, and representatives from mining companies and industry associations. Topics included domestic mineral supply, tariffs on Russian imports, and expanding mining activity in Montana.
Interior said it will continue implementing its revised NEPA procedures immediately while advancing energy, mineral, wildfire, and conservation priorities across public lands.
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN.