Fifteen states have united in a legal challenge against President Donald Trump’s initiatives aimed at expediting energy projects. They argue that the administration is sidestepping environmental protection laws, endangering species, habitats, and cultural sites. Trump’s executive order, issued on his first day in office, declared a “national energy emergency,” advocating for oil and gas expansion using federal eminent domain and the Defense Production Act. The lawsuit, filed in Washington state, contends that such emergency measures should be reserved for genuine crises like natural disasters, not for routine projects. The coalition asserts that federal agencies like the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are circumventing mandatory reviews under laws such as the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act.

In response, the White House maintains that the President has the authority to define national emergencies, emphasizing the importance of American energy independence for economic and national security. Despite acknowledging the significance of reliable electricity, the attorneys general argue that the executive order unlawfully instructs federal agencies to disregard environmental laws, potentially causing harm to ecosystems and communities. They insist that expediting projects through emergency processes undermines states’ rights to safeguard water quality. Seeking to declare the executive order illegal and prevent the issuance of emergency permits for non-critical projects, the coalition, led by Washington and California attorneys general, has garnered support from thirteen other states in this legal challenge.