Berkeley Law

August 7, 2017, was Donald Trump’s 201^st day as President of the United States. Eric Biber and Dan Farber marked the occasion with an analysis looking back at the Trump Administration’s impact on environmental law in the United States during its first 200 days and exploring the most likely future developments that we may see in the remaining years of its term. Approaching its subject primarily by channels of government decision-making – legislation, budget, enforcement, executive orders, and state and local action – 200 Days & Counting reviews the Administration’s environmental proposals and offers a prognosis of what may come next.

Acknowledging that there is still significant uncertainty regarding the ultimate impact of the Administration’s environmental policies, the authors conclude that major statutory revisions are unlikely; significant regulatory rollbacks will be slow; federal agency and research budgets may be substantially reduced; and enforcement of existing laws will likely be relaxed. A combination of legal, procedural, and political constraints will hamper the Administration’s efforts, slow them down, and in some cases block them. Nevertheless, the damage is likely to be substantial.