WASHINGTON - In a major effort to dismantle environmental protections, President Donald Trump today signed an executive order requiring all federal agencies to repeal two regulations before implementing a new rule.

This unprecedented and illegal restriction would hamstring every federal agency’s efforts to implement laws and dramatically curtail the federal government’s ability to protect human health, wildlife and the environment from emerging threats.

"This new policy is as dumb as it gets," said Kieran Suckling, executive director of the Center for Biological Diversity. “How does this ‘one-step-forward-two-steps-back’ order work? So you’ll protect my drinking water but only in exchange for allowing oil drilling in national parks and more lead in my paint?”

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Today’s order has drastic consequences. For example, if an agency like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wanted to protect a species from being wiped out from poaching, it wouldn’t be able to take any steps until it removed two rules protecting other animals from extinction. It would be the same for rules protecting people, air and water from pollution or pesticides. Agencies entrusted with protecting people, animals, public lands and natural resources will be unable to carry out their duties.

“Trump is again demonstrating that he has no interest in governing this nation for the benefit of its people or to protect our environment,” said Suckling. “Instead, he’s fixated on realizing the fantasies of the most unhinged, right-wing extremists and profiteers who view government protections as nothing more to an impediment to their profits. We will fight this dangerous and nonsensical executive order in court anywhere it rears its ugly head.”

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