Trump’s Day One Executive Orders Aim to Rollback Clean Water Protections
By: Waterkeeper Alliance
Following the inauguration, President Trump issued executive orders that shield polluting industries and threaten clean water protections, environmental justice programs, and sensible energy policies. These actions undermine efforts to safeguard communities from pollution and compromise the clean water American families and businesses rely on, loosening restrictions on industrial pollution in our environment and waterways.
The Trump administration’s claims that these actions will ensure American energy security are misleading—the United States has produced more crude oil than any other nation at any time in history for six consecutive years. Rather than addressing a real energy crisis, these actions are nothing more than a giveaway to Big Oil and polluting industries. These policies fail to recognize that clean energy is not only sound environmental policy but also a smart economic strategy. Investments in clean energy protect our environment, create well-paying jobs, and drive sustainable growth in communities across the country.
Marc Yaggi, Chief Executive Officer of Waterkeeper Alliance issued the following statement in response:
“It is extremely short-sighted and reckless that President Trump is breaking his promise to have ‘the cleanest water on the planet’ on his very first day in office. Water supports every aspect of life and is the foundation of a thriving economy and a strong nation. These executive orders are not addressing a real energy emergency and if there was one, these steps would not resolve it. We need to call it what it is: a regressive step backward, benefiting wealthy corporate polluters at the expense of American families, local economies, and our long-term environmental commitments. If this is how Trump is starting his term, anyone who understands the fundamental value of clean water should be deeply concerned about the next four years.”
The Trump administration rolled back critical clean air and water protections, dismantled environmental programs aimed at supporting underserved, low-income, and rural communities most vulnerable to pollution and the impacts of severe weather, and opened up Alaska and other parts of the United States to environmental degradation. These actions notably embrace increased fossil fuel extraction and efforts to undo offshore drilling bans, further threatening aquatic ecosystems. It also sought to eliminate protections for certain endangered species and announced plans to withdraw the U.S. from the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. Additionally, the administration halted new rulemaking and ordered unnecessary reviews of all pending regulations, wasting valuable government resources in the process.
There is broad, bipartisan support for clean water policies that protect the rights of communities affected by pollution. Yet, the Trump administration’s actions are pushing us in the wrong direction—one that disregards scientific consensus, the needs of vulnerable communities, and the economic opportunities tied to clean energy investments. These harmful executive orders are likely to face prolonged legal challenges, but in the meantime, the American public is already seeing the benefits of clean energy investments, pollution safeguards, and sustainable infrastructure.The full impact of these executive orders will have disastrous and compounding consequences.
The threats facing clean water and public health are urgent and growing – not receding. Waterkeeper Alliance, along with our global network of Waterkeeper groups, advocates for policies informed by sound science, data, and facts. Clean energy is a key part of this, reducing dangerous pollution while supporting U.S. climate commitments, including the Paris Agreement. We will continue to advocate for a solutions-forward energy economy that meets everyone’s needs without worsening water and environmental challenges.