Alleged Industry Back Channel Blasted by Environmental Groups

The White House gave industry a special back-channel option to file public comments on a critical rewrite of environmental permitting rules, several environmental groups allege.

The groups, who were unaware of the access, say they’re suspicious because the specific email address for comments wasn’t advertised publicly as an accepted means for submissions. They say it was used to give industry players an advantage in the administration’s effort to rewrite National Environmental Policy Act regulations to speed environmental permitting for major projects such as roads, bridges, and pipelines.

“Usually you see the comments as they come in, and then you can ...