State Impact Center Launches Midnight Watch Project to Track Major Environmental and Energy Regulatory Changes During Final Days of Trump Administration

Washington, D.C. — The State Energy & Environmental Impact Center today announced the launch of a new initiative to track significant environmental and energy regulatory changes during the final days of the Trump administration. The Midnight Watch Project will provide attorneys, press and the public with rapid-response updates on last-minute actions taken by executive branch agencies and the White House during the presidential transition through Inauguration Day on January 20, 2021.

“Environmental and energy policy decisions made during the next ten weeks could have an impact for decades to come, and it is absolutely crucial that they be tracked and documented. The Midnight Watch Project will do just that,” said David J. Hayes, Executive Director of the State Energy & Environmental Impact Center. “Last-ditch efforts may already be underway to lock in the damage done over the past four years and preemptively hamstring sorely-needed action to protect the environment and public health — they will not go unnoticed or unanswered.”

The Midnight Watch Project will track developments in nine key areas: Climate Change; Clean Air; Clean Water; Clean Energy & Energy Efficiency; Public Lands; Wildlife; Safety & Toxics; Regulatory Processes; and Executive Actions.

25 significant issues primed for final agency action are already outlined on the dashboard. These include:

• Arctic National Wildlife Refuge seismic surveying and leasing
• EPA’s “Secret Science” rule
• Clean Air Act cost-benefit analysis changes
• Retention of National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone and PM2.5
• Vineyard Wind environmental impact statement and permitting decision

Developments will be announced first via Twitter, @StateImpactCntr, followed by rapid-response updates to the dashboard. For questions about the Midnight Watch Project, please contact the State Impact Center at [email protected].

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About the State Energy & Environmental Impact Center:
The State Energy & Environmental Impact Center at NYU School of Law is a nonpartisan academic center at NYU School of Law. The Center is dedicated to working towards a healthy and safe environment, guided by inclusive and equitable principles. The Center studies and supports the work of state attorneys general (AGs) in defending, enforcing, and promoting strong laws and policies in the areas of climate, environmental justice, environmental protection, and clean energy.