Trump releases statement on Earth Day as his administration continues repealing environmental regulations

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Donald Trump

AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

President Donald Trump walks across the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Sunday, April 9, 2017.

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President Trump released a statement on Earth Day declaring that his administration is committed to maintaining the health of the environment.

"My Administration is committed to keeping our air and water clean, to preserving our forests, lakes, and open spaces, and to protecting endangered species," the statement read.

He went on to say that environmental protection should not come at a cost to working families, and that the White House was focused on "reducing unnecessary burdens" on American workers while working to protect the environment.

Trump added that his administration would work to achieve the "twin goals" of environmental health and American economic growth, noting that "we should remember that rigorous science depends not on ideology, but on a spirit of honest inquiry and robust debate."

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Trump also tweeted out a statement in support of Earth Day, saying on Saturday, "Today on Earth Day, we celebrate our beautiful forests, lakes and land. We stand committed to preserving the natural beauty of our nation."

Here are some of the actions the Trump administration has taken on environmental issues so far:

  • Trump signed an executive order rolling back former president Obama's Clean Power Plan. The Clean Power Plan was aimed at reducing carbon emissions, reducing American reliance on coal and other fossil fuels, and promoting the use of alternative sources of energy to curb global warming
  • Trump signed a bill repealing an Obama-era regulation that prevented coal mining companies from dumping debris and toxic waste into streams and rivers
  • Trump signed a Congressional Review Act resolution which rolled back a financial disclosure requirement for energy companies
  • Trump appointed Scott Pruitt, who said that carbon dioxide is not a primary contributor to climate change, to head up the Environmental Protection Agency
  • Pruitt has endorsed the US leaving the Paris agreement, a global pact that was negotiated in 2015 and focuses on slowing global temperature increases, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and investing in alternative fuel sources
  • The Trump administration refused to ban a common pesticide used in food that has been shows to affect the development of children's brains
  • Shortly after taking office, Trump issued an executive order greenlighting the construction of the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines
  • Trump signed an executive order asking the EPA to review the "Waters of the United States" rule, which extended federal protection to certain bodies of water across the US
  • Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke scrapped an Obama-era regulation which banned lead ammunition on federal lands and waters
  • In March, the EPA rescinded an Obama request for more information on facilities that produce fossil fuels like oil and natural gas
  • The EPA's Office of Science and Technology removed the word "science" from its mission statement
  • The White House's budget proposal slashed funding for federal programs aimed at environmental protection, like the EPA