US states sue Trump administration, accuse it of ‘illegally’ weakening wildlife law
Twenty US states and Washington, DC, have filed lawsuits against the Trump administration, alleging that new rules weaken the Endangered Species Act. The states argue these changes prioritize industrial exploitation, such as mining and drilling, over the protection of threatened wildlife habitats.
Why it matters
This legal challenge represents a significant clash between federal deregulation efforts and state-level environmental protection mandates.
Twenty US states and Washington, DC, sued US President Donald Trump's administration on Wednesday, challenging new rules that they say weaken the federal Endangered Species Act. They said that the rules could allow development, mining and oil drilling in habitats of threatened wildlife.The lawsuits, led by Washington state, California, Maryland and Massachusetts, were filed in federal courts in the San Francisco area. They target rules issued by the interior and commerce departments less than two months ago that changed how the landmark 1973 law protects endangered species and their habitats.One lawsuit challenges a new definition of "harm" under the Endangered Species Act.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in