15 States Sue Over Trump Fast-Tracking Energy Projects

A coalition of 15 states, including Arizona, Wisconsin, Oregon, Maine, and Michigan, has filed a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump's executive order declaring a "national energy emergency" and fast-tracking energy-related projects. The states argue that this order bypasses essential environmental protections mandated by laws such as the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act, threatening endangered species, critical habitats, cultural resources, and tribal lands. They contend that the emergency declaration is a political maneuver benefiting fossil fuel interests rather than responding to genuine emergencies like natural disasters. Federal agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of the Interior, are accused of skipping required reviews, undermining states' rights to protect water quality and environmental safeguards. The White House maintains that the President has the authority to determine a national emergency and emphasizes the importance of expanding American energy for economic and national security. The states seek a federal court ruling to declare the executive order unlawful, citing risks of environmental damage and the undermining of regulations and state authority.