Environmental Concerns in the Next Trump Administration
Environmental issues were conspicuously absent from the 2024 U.S. presidential campaign, but moves by President-elect Donald Trump’s first administration and his leadership picks for his next administration offer clues to what may be ahead.
Loosening Regulations on Industries
They point to a second Trump administration likely loosening regulations on industries, particularly oil, gas, and petrochemicals, giving them wider permission to pollute.
Actions Will Be Overt and Covert
Some actions will be overt, but history suggests this administration may also try to use the language of science – terms such as transparency, citizen science, and uncertainty – to weaken environmental and health protections and write regulations more favorable to industry.
Using the Language of Science
Here are three ways the second Trump administration could try to use the language of science to write policies that sound beneficial but could have profound effects on environmental health.
1. ‘Strengthening Transparency’ to Block Use of Health Data
When you hear words such as “transparency” or “open source,” they probably sound positive – the idea is that all of the parts can be seen and checked.
But would you want your health records open for anyone to see? The privacy of health care records was at the heart of a debate over a policy the first Trump administration created called “Strengthening Transparency in Pivotal Science Underlying Significant Regulation Actions,” or the “secret science” rule.
2. Boosting Public Scrutiny of the EPA
The author of Project 2025’s chapter on the EPA was Mandy Gunasekara, who served as chief of staff to Trump’s EPA administrator in the first administration. Apart from transparency, Gunasekara has also pitched “citizen science” as a way to “deputize the public to subject the agency’s science to greater scrutiny.”
3. Using Uncertainty to Avoid Regulation
Uncertainty is another important scientific term that the first Trump administration used to promote deregulation, particularly for chemicals.
What’s Next?
Our team at EDGI is working with partners to again identify federal web pages and datasets vulnerable to removal, modification, or attrition. That allows us to sound the alarm if these resources for tracking and addressing climate and environmental change go missing.
Conclusion
I don’t think Trump’s next EPA will be straightforwardly “anti-science.” I believe, however, that it will use language that appears to boost research openness and citizen participation but that is aimed at undermining policies that protect human health and the environment.
FAQs
Q: What is the EDGI? A: The Environmental Data & Governance Initiative is a group founded in 2016 to document Trump’s efforts to dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency.
Q: What is Project 2025? A: Project 2025 is a conservative agenda that was written by former Trump administration officials, including several people Trump has tapped for his next administration.
Q: What is the “secret science” rule? A: The “secret science” rule is a policy the first Trump administration created to prevent the government from considering important health research in setting pollution limits.
Q: What is the significance of the “precautionary approach” in science? A: The precautionary approach assumes that chemicals have adverse effects at low doses and that those effects grow as exposures increase or accumulate. Many scientists consider precaution a safer bet when not enough is known about the chemicals’ effects.
