Trump administration moves to block public from enforcing environmental protection laws

For decades, regular citizens and advocacy groups have filed suits that forced companies and the federal government to clean up the environment. Trump officials have moved to limit that power.

By: Sarah J. Morath, Wake Forest University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: August 3, 2026

Words: 1,269

Last Updated: 52 minutes ago

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By Sarah J. Morath, Wake Forest University

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.

Congress specifically wrote into those laws ways for citizens to enforce them through the courts when the government does not act to address the problem. Called …

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