Trump wants the power to stop the public from suing polluters
The Trump administration is challenging the legality of 'citizen suit' provisions in environmental laws, which allow private individuals to sue companies for pollution violations. The Department of Justice is arguing that citizens should not have the authority to enforce these laws, potentially shifting power away from the public and toward the executive branch.
Why it matters
This legal shift could fundamentally alter how environmental regulations are enforced in the U.S., potentially weakening the ability of advocacy groups to hold corporations accountable for pollution.
power to the people Trump wants the power to stop the public from suing polluters Trump’s DOJ says citizens should no longer be able to enforce environmental laws.
26 A citizen-initiated lawsuit under the Clean Air Act forced a cleanup at ExxonMobil’s Baytown, Texas, refinery and chemical complex. Credit: Brandon Bell/Getty A citizen-initiated lawsuit under the Clean Air Act forced a cleanup at ExxonMobil’s Baytown, Texas, refinery and chemical complex. Credit: Brandon Bell/Getty Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav Reducing rampant pollution across the United States was so important that when Congress passed many environmental protection laws, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Safe Drinking Water Act, it didn’t want to leave enforcement only to the executive branch.
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