Interior Scales Back Environmental Regulations for Public Lands

The Interior Department, which is in charge of the nation’s public lands and waters, has completed a major scaling back of its environmental regulations.

The department, which also oversees activities including drilling and mining on the nation’s lands and in its waters, has rescinded more than 80 percent of its previous environmental regulations under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Interior said in a press release that its actions would be aimed at cutting down delays and costs for energy, minerals, livestock grazing, infrastructure, wildfire mitigation, water projects and conservation efforts.

NEPA, one of the nation’s bedrock environmental laws, requires the federal government to conduct a detailed analysis of the potential impacts a project may have on its surrounding before it can be approved.