12. Department of Energy and Related Commissions · Notable
Maintain or reinstate the NEPA categorical exclusion for LNG exports
Printed page 377 12. Department of Energy and Related Commissions
“Maintain the categorical exclusion from the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for LNG exports that was established by the Trump Administration or (if it is revoked by the Biden Administration) reinstate it.”
What has happened
- Done
DOE's revised NEPA implementing procedures retain categorical exclusion B5.7, Export of Natural Gas and Associated Transportation by Marine Vessel, covering approvals or disapprovals of new authorizations and amendments of existing authorizations to export natural gas under section 3 of the Natural Gas Act. The exclusion the Quote asks be maintained is in force in DOE's current procedures.
Research log
What was searched, and what didn’t count as evidence
Research notes
A maintain-or-reinstate ask: done while the thing continues, reversed if it stops. The categorical exclusion was never revoked, so the reinstate limb never became live; the July 2025 rule re-promulgated it inside the evidence window, which is the action dated here.
Operative text read at https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-07-03/html/2025-12383.htm, appendix B to subpart D of 10 CFR part 1021.
- Action
- reinstate
- Object
- NEPA categorical exclusion for LNG exports
- ID
- 959