In the drive to begin construction in New Mexico, the Trump Administration has bypassed dozens of federal environmental regulations.
This week, the Department of Homeland Security “announced that it would be waiving more than 30 laws, most of them environmental, to begin construction on a 20-mile-long stretch of bollard wall near the Santa Teresa port on the U.S.-Mexico border.”
Those laws include pieces of the legislation that make up the foundation of federal environmental protection, including the National Environmental Protection Act, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act.
Under the 2005 REAL ID Act, DHS Secretary Kirsten Nielsen has the right to waive any federal, state or local law to expedite construction in the border region, and this is not the first time she’s done so. Though the administration has not been particularly forthcoming about plans for the wall, the AP has reported that there are no plans for environmental review, and the Texas Observer has reported that at least part of it will bisect the Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge.
The potential for “ecological disaster,” however, has been established by both news organizations and the Army Corps of Engineers.
The Trump Administration has demonstrated a disregard for federal environmental regulation from the start, but this round of waivers also applies to parts of the American Indian Religious Freedom Act, Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, and the National Historic Preservation Act.
FULL STORY: Trump administration waives over 30 laws to jumpstart border wall construction
Coming Soon to Ohio: The Largest Agrivoltaic Farm in the US
The ambitious 6,000-acre project will combine an 800-watt solar farm with crop and livestock production.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
Dallas Surburb Bans New Airbnbs
Plano’s city council banned all new permits for short-term rentals as concerns about their impacts on housing costs grow.
Divvy Introduces E-Bike Charging Docks
New, circular docks let e-bikes charge at stations, eliminating the need for frequent battery swaps.
How Freeway Projects Impact Climate Resilience
In addition to displacement and public health impacts, highway expansions can also make communities less resilient to flooding and other climate-related disasters.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.