The Big Story 

The Trump administration will consider rolling back Biden-era regulations that increased safeguards for workers at chemical plants, announcing the plans Thursday. 

© Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via AP

The Trump administration asked a court to pause legal challenges to the 2024 safety rules while it “undertakes a new rulemaking.”

It said that as part of this rulemaking it will “reassess elements of the underlying rule challenged here.”

It’s not entirely clear what exactly the Environmental Protection Agency would rewrite — if anything. The agency declined to comment further. 

However, the last Trump administration significantly weakened safety standards at chemical plants. 

The standards in question apply to 12,000 industrial facilities, including chemical manufacturers and distributors, oil refineries, food and beverage manufacturers and agricultural supply distributors.

Read more at TheHill.com.

Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, we’re Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.

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Essential Reads 

How policy will affect the energy and environment sectors now and in the future:

Trump administration reverses on plan to close nuclear waste site management office, Democratic senator says

Energy Secretary Chris Wright throws support behind geothermal boom

A fifth of US butterflies have disappeared since 2000: Study

In Other News 

Branch out with a different read from The Hill:

Trump signs tariff exemptions for certain imports from Canada, Mexico

President Trump on Thursday signed off on tariff exemptions for imports from Canada and Mexico that are covered under a 2020 North American trade agreement, marking the latest reversal of duties imposed earlier this week.

What We're Reading 

News we've flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics:

• Revealed: how Wall Street is making millions betting against green laws (The Guardian)

   

• Industry-Backed Legislation Would Bar the Use of Science Behind Hundreds of Environmental Protections (ProPublica)
  
  

•  Surge in California electric vehicle sales could hurt state’s fight against pollution (The San Francisco Chronicle)
  
  

• South Dakota action threatens massive carbon dioxide pipeline proposed for Midwest (The Minneapolis Star-Tribune)

What Others are Reading 

Two key stories on The Hill right now:

These 10 Democrats voted to censure Al Green

Ten House Democrats joined Republicans in voting to censure Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) on Thursday, rebuking the 11-term congressman for his disruptive protest during President Trump’s speech to Congress. Read more

GOP lawmakers balk at Trump’s call to repeal CHIPS Act

Republican lawmakers on Wednesday said President Trump’s call for Congress to “get rid of” the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, which provided $52 billion for the domestic semiconductor manufacturing industry, is dead on arrival on Capitol Hill. Read more