Trump To Reverse Obama-Era Order Aimed At Planning For Climate Change

"President Trump signed an executive order Tuesday that he said would streamline the approval process for building infrastructure such as roads, bridges and offices by eliminating a planning step related to climate change and flood dangers.

Speaking in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York, Trump said that the approval process for projects was 'badly broken' and that the nation’s infrastructure was a 'massive self-inflicted wound on our country.' Trump said that 'no longer' would there be 'one job-killing delay after another' for new projects. But he did not provide any proposal on how his much-promised infrastructure program would be financed or what it would include.

The White House confirmed that the order issued Tuesday would revoke an earlier executive order by former President Barack Obama that required recipients of federal funds to strongly consider risk-management standards when building in flood zones, including measures such as elevating structures from the reach of rising water. Obama’s Federal Flood Risk Management Standard, established in 2015, sought to mitigate the risk of flood damage charged to taxpayers when property owners file costly claims."

Darryl Fears and Steven Mufson report for the Washington Post August 15, 2017.

SEE ALSO:

"Trump Infrastructure Push Rolls Back Environmental Rules" (Reuters)

"Trump to Roll Back Obama-Era Flood Protections" (Pacific Standard)