Trump Administration Finalizes Major NEPA Deregulation, Removes CEQ Environmental Rules

Washington, January 2026 The Council on Environmental Quality has taken its final administrative step to complete one of the most significant deregulatory actions of the Trump Administration by formally eliminating its National Environmental Policy Act implementing regulations. The final rule, now available for public inspection and set for publication in the Federal Register, reaffirms the rescission of CEQ regulations that were originally withdrawn last year.

This move follows the Interim Final Rule issued on February 25, 2025, which took effect on April 11. The action was carried out under President Donald Trump’s executive order titled Unleashing American Energy, aimed at simplifying and accelerating the federal permitting process. As part of this directive, the administration revoked the 1977 executive order that had required CEQ to issue government-wide NEPA regulations.

Under the new framework, CEQ has returned to its core statutory role of advising and coordinating with federal agencies to ensure that each agency’s own NEPA procedures align with federal law and national policy objectives.

CEQ Chair Katherine Scarlett stated that the administration’s actions have ended what she described as excessive regulatory burden within the environmental review process. She emphasized that the reforms are designed to restore certainty for investors, accelerate infrastructure development, create jobs, strengthen U.S. energy leadership, and improve overall environmental outcomes.

The regulatory rollback has already prompted major federal permitting agencies to modernize their NEPA procedures. By June 30, 2025, agencies across the executive branch had updated their environmental review processes, many for the first time in decades, to ensure faster and more efficient project approvals.

Going forward, CEQ will continue providing technical guidance, standardized procedures, and implementation tools to ensure consistent application of the updated NEPA framework across federal agencies. The administration says the reforms strike a balance between economic growth and environmental protection, preserving clean air, water, and land while removing barriers to national development.