ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL URGES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO HALT PROPOSED RULE AMENDING EPA’S REGULATIONS TO IMPLEMENT NEPA

ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL URGES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO HALT PROPOSED RULE AMENDING EPA'S REGULATIONS TO IMPLEMENT NEPA

July 28, 2026

Chicago - Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined a coalition of 14 attorneys general in submitting a comment letter to the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) strongly urging the agency to halt its proposed rule amending its regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

In their letter, Raoul and the coalition explain the proposed rule would significantly weaken the implementation of NEPA by limiting the consideration of harmful environmental impacts associated with federal projects, curtailing public involvement in NEPA reviews, and complicating federal and state coordination of environmental review. They argue the proposed rule would create significant environmental harm to communities nationwide and lead to less-informed environmental decisions. The coalition also argues the proposed rule is illegal and violates the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) and NEPA.

"NEPA requires federal agencies evaluate and share any significant environmental impacts of future projects with local residents, which is essential to protect their quality of life," Raoul said. "Illinois residents deserve to know if their health and environment is at risk, which is why I am asking the EPA to not amend its regulation to weaken NEPA's implementation."

Enacted in 1969, NEPA is one of the nation's foremost environmental statutes. Before any federal agency undertakes a "major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment," NEPA requires the agency to take a "hard look" at significant environmental impacts and inform the public about that "hard look" before undertaking that action. The EPA is responsible for reviewing environmental impact statements prepared by other federal agencies when those agencies permit major energy, transportation and infrastructure projects.

In the comment letter, Raoul and the attorneys general assert the EPA's proposed rule:

• Strips communities of their voice and protection, which would allow major federal projects to move forward without fully considering the environmental and health risks they pose to local residents.
• Violates the APA and NEPA, and is arbitrary and capricious because it does not adequately explain the agency's complete shift away from the standards for public participation and consideration of environmental impacts, which have been used for decades.
• Creates confusion in federal project planning, undermines consistent environmental oversight and allows significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions to go unchecked.

Joining Attorney General Raoul in submitting the letter are attorneys general of California, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.