Washington sues Trump Administration over environmental protection rules
May 9, 2025, 1:01 PM
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown and Cowlitz Tribal Chairman Bill Iyall speak at a press conference announcing a lawsuit against the Trump Administration. (Photo courtesy of the Washington State Attorney General's Office)
(Photo courtesy of the Washington State Attorney General's Office)
Washington’s Attorney General has filed a lawsuit challenging another one of President Donald Trump’s executive orders. This time, in the name of environmental protection.
The order, “Declaring a National Energy Emergency,” was one of 26 filed on January 20, 2025 – inauguration day.
“Because of the President’s order, federal agencies are now bypassing or weakening critical reviews under the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Historic National Preservation Act,” Washington Attorney General Nick Brown said in a press conference.
The order criticized the Biden Administration and claimed overreliance on foreign resources had created domestic energy uncertainty. The text directed agencies to use all emergency powers available to them to increase energy production and complete infrastructure projects—including loosening regulations and using eminent domain.
“This active threat to the American people from high energy prices is exacerbated by our Nation’s diminished capacity to insulate itself from hostile foreign actors. Energy security is an increasingly crucial theater of global competition,” read the order.
AG Brown: There is no ‘energy emergency’
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But Brown said there is no energy emergency because U.S. energy production is at an all-time high.
“It is all about eliminating competition and shackling America to dirty fossil fuels forever,” he stated.
Brown also said the order undermines Washington’s environmental efforts.
Bill Iyall, chair of the Cowlitz Tribe, and Casey Sixkiller, Director of the Department of Ecology, were at the press conference to support the legal action.
“Environmental regulations exist because we’ve seen what happens when they don’t,” Sixkiller said. “The federal administration is proposing an end-run that ignores the hard lessons of the past. These protections aren’t red tape—they’re guardrails that protect our air, water, land, and keep our families safe.”
The lawsuit was filed in the Western District Court in Seattle on Friday, and 14 states, including California, joined Washington in backing the effort.
This is the Attorney General’s 17th lawsuit against the Trump Administration.
