Push to speed US fossil fuel permits faces delays as federal experts resign
A wave of retirements and resignations across federal environmental agencies is threatening President Trump’s efforts to fast-track fossil fuel and mining projects.
Miranda Willson and Hannah Northey report for E&E News.
In short:
- The Army Corps of Engineers and Interior Department have lost senior staff vital to reviewing environmental permits and enforcing laws like the Endangered Species Act and Clean Water Act, creating a backlog in approvals.
- More than 7,500 Interior staff and 15,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture employees have left under Trump administration downsizing initiatives, hollowing out technical capacity as the administration attempts to ramp up mining for critical minerals.
- Former and current officials say pressure to approve permits quickly is rising, even as the agencies face understaffing and a steep learning curve for new hires to assess complex environmental impacts.
Key quote:
“We’re losing a lot of talent in this space, or we have already lost [it], and it’s a time of transition … we don’t know exactly what this space is going to look like. We are juggling a lot of hot potatoes right now.”
— Scott Vandegrift, chief environmental review and permitting officer, Department of Agriculture
Why this matters:
Environmental permitting is the backbone of the country’s efforts to protect wetlands, water supplies, wildlife, and public health from the effects of infrastructure and energy development. As seasoned experts leave and permitting offices shrink, the risk grows that reviews will be rushed or incomplete. This matters not just for big-picture climate policy but for communities near construction sites, pipelines, or mines, where the stakes are local and immediate — dirty air, polluted water, and damaged ecosystems. Federal agencies like the Army Corps and Interior aren’t just bureaucracies; they’re the gatekeepers of the nation’s environmental safeguards. Without experienced staff, even well-intentioned reforms risk falling apart.
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