The fate of many of these regulations likely depends on the outcome of November’s election, as a Harris administration would probably continue them, while a Trump administration likely would not.
While even finished rules are vulnerable under a new administration, it may take a lengthy process with significant scrutiny to undo some of the progress the Biden administration has made on climate and health.
However, rules that are not yet on the books can simply be abandoned.
The Biden administration has completed a number of significant actions aimed at combating climate change and improving environmental health. These include the passage of billions of dollars for climate-friendly energy in the Inflation Reduction Act and regulations restricting planet-warming and toxic emissions from a variety of sources.
But it has not completed everything it set out to do — and probably will not before President Biden’s term is up in January.
One of the highest profile items that is unlikely to be finished this term is Biden’s effort to protect workers from extreme heat. His administration announced in 2021 that it planned to require companies to provide employees with such protections, but it didn’t propose to do so until this year.
Rules that would regulate planet-warming emissions from existing gas power plants and that would set discharge limits for toxic “forever chemicals” are also unlikely to be finished before the president’s term is up.
Read more at TheHill.com.
