September 13, 2026 to September 19, 2026

This is Queen Street Analytics' weekly digest of regulatory developments, legislative discussions and other government-related news regarding the environment, climate change policies, fish and wildlife protection, habitat conservation, environmental activism, and forestry. Once a week, we break down the most important updates in this space in under five minutes.

Want to see GR activities in areas of the economy related to the Environment channel? Don’t miss this week’s updates in Oil & Gas and Mining. Also consider subscribing to our Environment - Ottawa edition covering critical GR news north of the border.

📋 In This Week's Newsletter

• 🇺🇸 Federal Government News
• 📚 What We're Reading This Week

Federal Government News

Trump Administration Issues Orders Expanding Hunting and Recreational Fishing Access

President Donald J. Trump signed executive orders on September 17, 2026, directed at expanding public access to federal lands for hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation. The orders instruct federal agencies to revise existing policies, unlock landlocked parcels, prioritize recreational fishing, and support state and local recruitment of new hunters and anglers. Measures include allowing Sunday hunting, increasing wild game donations to food banks and schools, and modernizing habitat and fisheries management. The Department of Commerce is tasked with a review of fishing regulations affecting recreational saltwater angling, with directives to improve electronic data collection and management under the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Major conservation organizations have issued statements in support, and agencies are directed to implement multi-year permitting and decrease regulatory burdens. These actions align with the administration’s continuing emphasis on deregulation and the expansion of hunting and fishing opportunities on public lands.

Sources: www.whitehouse.gov, www.whitehouse.gov, www.whitehouse.gov, www.whitehouse.gov, www.whitehouse.gov

EPA Announces Availability of Environmental Impact Statements

The Environmental Protection Agency released a notice covering the weekly receipt of Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) filed between September 4 and September 14, 2026. Notable filings include the adoption of the Final EIS for the Dam Retrofit and Surrender of the Anderson Dam Hydroelectric Project Exemption in California, the release of the draft EIS for the Everett Link Extension Project in Washington, and documents for flood control and watershed projects in California and Utah. Section 309(a) of the Clean Air Act requires EPA to make its EIS comments public, and full comment letters are available online. The notice also provides key contact information and deadlines for public review and comment.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

South Atlantic Shrimp Fishery Access Area Proposal Opens for Comment

The National Marine Fisheries Service announced the availability of Amendments 11 and 12 to the Fishery Management Plans for South Atlantic coral and shrimp fisheries. The proposed amendments would open a shrimp fishery access area (SFAA) in the Oculina Bank Habitat Area of Particular Concern, permitting trawling for rock shrimp in areas presently closed for habitat protection. The proposal incorporates new scientific data and addresses previous administrative disapprovals by NMFS. The public comment period runs through November 17, 2026. Associated documents include an environmental assessment, regulatory impact review, and bycatch practicability analysis. The final decision will be based on all submitted comments and updated scientific information.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov

Consent Decrees and Settlements Address Superfund, Clean Water, and CERCLA Site Remediation

The Department of Justice lodged proposed consent decrees in multiple environmental cases this week. At the Diamond Alkali Superfund Site (Lower Passaic River, New Jersey), Environmental Resource Holdings, LLC will construct support facilities for future dredging and remediation and reimburse oversight costs to the Environmental Protection Agency. In Eastern California, Goldcorp USA, Inc. and others agreed to a $5 million settlement for past response costs at the Rand Historic Mining Complex under CERCLA. The Department also announced a final supplemental consent decree for Belle Fourche Pipeline Company, resolving remediation claims from the 2016 Ash Coulee oil spill in North Dakota. Each consent decree opens 30-day comment periods and the full texts are posted on the Justice Department’s website.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov, www.federalregister.gov, www.federalregister.gov

Notices and Public Comment Periods: Hydroelectric, Mining, Wildlife, and Restoration Projects

Federal agencies issued a series of notices for environmental review and public comment. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is preparing environmental assessments for the PacifiCorp Ashton Hydroelectric Project in Idaho and the Lake Flower Dam Project in New York, and announced the acceptance of Greenwood County, SC’s application to amend the Buzzards Roost Project license. The Forest Service opened a scoping period for a new environmental impact statement for the proposed Roca Honda underground uranium mine in New Mexico. The Fish and Wildlife Service requests comments on permit applications for activities with foreign endangered species, land acquisition process revisions, and the field release of Aceria salsolae mites for Russian thistle biocontrol in the contiguous U.S. The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council gave notice of a proposed $200,000 subaward for rookery island restoration planning in Texas. The FAA is seeking comment on a draft programmatic environmental assessment for commercial reentry vehicle operations in the marine environment, including related categorical exclusions.

Sources: www.federalregister.gov, www.federalregister.gov, www.federalregister.gov, www.federalregister.gov, www.federalregister.gov, www.federalregister.gov, www.federalregister.gov, www.federalregister.gov, www.federalregister.gov

What We're Reading This Week

• New Trump orders loosen regulations on hunting, recreational fishing: Trump’s latest executive orders remove or ease several regulations limiting public access to federal lands for hunting and angling.
• Gold Statues and Staff Cuts: How Trump Has Disrupted America’s Parks: Reporting on changes to Park Service funding and operations during the Trump administration, including financial constraints and staff reductions.
• Toxic Fracking Waste Bubbling Up in Ohio Is Becoming a Political Issue: Political debate increases in Ohio following reports of fracking wastewater surfacing near communities.
• Trump's EPA reforms are a huge boost to manufacturers, but there's more red tape to cut: Expert: EPA deregulatory actions are viewed as expansive but industry leaders seek further reductions.
• GE Vernova, Vineyard Wind settle legal battle over New England wind farm: Settlement reached between GE Vernova and Vineyard Wind following a legal dispute over offshore wind project developments.
• The water cycle you learned about in school is off balance. The consequences affect everyone on Earth: New analysis examines global disruption to the water cycle and its effects on ecosystems and human activity.
• France plans €54 billion savings drive as protests grow: Fishermen’s protests intensify in France amid budget fights and government savings initiatives.

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