In a bold legal move, Washington has teamed up with California and 13 other states in suing President Donald Trump over his declaration of a so-called "national energy emergency." Framing this president's move as an unwarranted overreach aimed at benefiting the fossil fuel industry, the coalition has voiced strong opposition to the administration's actions. According to a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, this emergency declaration is being leveraged to circumvent enviable environmental safeguards for the sake of oil and gas profits.
On Trump's first day back in office, he invoked the National Emergencies Act, which has allowed federal agencies to hastily bypass standard environmental reviews mandated by the Clean Water Act and other legislation designed to protect the environment. The act, originally meant to grant the president powers in times of genuine crisis, is being used, according to Attorney General Nick Brown, to unfairly "keep the nation reliant on energy sources like coal, oil, and gas." Meanwhile, U.S. energy production is reportedly at record levels, with the Department of Energy indicating that increases in exports will likely "increase prices for American consumers."
Challenging the president's directive, Attorney General Brown said, "The president’s attempt to bypass important environmental protections is illegal and would cause immense harm to Washingtonians. This won’t lower prices, increase our energy supply, or make our country safer," as obtained by the Washington State Attorney General's Office. The legal action questions the administration's labeling of this situation as an "emergency" and claims that it is a ploy to assist Trump's oil and gas allies at the expense of cleaner energy alternatives.
Casey Sixkiller, the director of the Washington Department of Ecology, argued against the administration's tactics, stating, "Environmental regulations exist because we’ve seen what happens when they don’t." Speaking on the matter, Sixkiller highlighted the risks of skirting these environmental reviews, emphasizing their role as "guardrails that protect our air, water, land, and keep our families safe" in a sentiment echoed by the legal suit.
The lawsuit has attracted a diverse range of states, including Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin, all of whom have joined Washington and California in this legal confrontation.
