EPA/REGULATIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The White House unveiled its semi-annual update on regulatory actions, known formally as the Unified Agenda, last night, breaking down the status of the rules under construction at each agency.The administration touted its look at CAFE and greenhouse gas standards, noting it is projecting to save between $120 and $340 billion in regulatory costs with an anticipated completion in fiscal year 2019. And EPA is still on target to release its revisions to the Waters of the U.S. rule in the fall. On PFAS, EPA said it’s still weighing mechanisms ‘most appropriate’ to move ahead on designating the toxic chemicals as hazardous substances. Elsewhere, EPA’s revised Lead and Copper Rule is slated for release in February 2019, but the agency dropped a date for the final rule, while Interior said it would prioritize improving the permitting processes in FY 2019, including an update the NEPA processes and revising the regulations or listing species under the Endangered Species Act…By the numbers: Ahead of the regulatory plan’s release, the White House told reporters it cut more than four times as many major regulations as it created in fiscal year 2018, which it says led to $23 billion in regulatory cost savings, Pro’s Alex Guillén reports. Overall, 176 regulations, including smaller rules, were cut. The Trump administration calculated that it had eliminated 57 regulations deemed ‘significant’ — or those with an impact of more than $100 million over the last year.”
–Kelsey Tamborrino, “What’s Trump’s agenda?,” Politico, October 17, 2018 10:00 am