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Executive Order 13990 of January 20, 2021
Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring
Science To Tackle the Climate Crisis
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the
laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Policy. Our Nation has an abiding commitment to empower our
workers and communities; promote and protect our public health and the
environment; and conserve our national treasures and monuments, places
that secure our national memory. Where the Federal Government has failed
to meet that commitment in the past, it must advance environmental justice.
In carrying out this charge, the Federal Government must be guided by
the best science and be protected by processes that ensure the integrity
of Federal decision-making. It is, therefore, the policy of my Administration
to listen to the science; to improve public health and protect our environment;
to ensure access to clean air and water; to limit exposure to dangerous
chemicals and pesticides; to hold polluters accountable, including those
who disproportionately harm communities of color and low-income commu-
nities; to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; to bolster resilience to the impacts
of climate change; to restore and expand our national treasures and monu-
ments; and to prioritize both environmental justice and the creation of
the well-paying union jobs necessary to deliver on these goals.
To that end, this order directs all executive departments and agencies (agen-
cies) to immediately review and, as appropriate and consistent with applica-
ble law, take action to address the promulgation of Federal regulations
and other actions during the last 4 years that conflict with these important
national objectives, and to immediately commence work to confront the
climate crisis.
Sec. 2. Immediate Review of Agency Actions Taken Between January 20,
2017, and January 20, 2021. (a) The heads of all agencies shall immediately
review all existing regulations, orders, guidance documents, policies, and
any other similar agency actions (agency actions) promulgated, issued, or
adopted between January 20, 2017, and January 20, 2021, that are or may
be inconsistent with, or present obstacles to, the policy set forth in section
1 of this order. For any such actions identified by the agencies, the heads
of agencies shall, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, consider
suspending, revising, or rescinding the agency actions. In addition, for the
agency actions in the 4 categories set forth in subsections (i) through (iv)
of this section, the head of the relevant agency, as appropriate and consistent
with applicable law, shall consider publishing for notice and comment a
proposed rule suspending, revising, or rescinding the agency action within
the time frame specified.
(i) Reducing Methane Emissions in the Oil and Gas Sector: ‘‘Oil and
Natural Gas Sector: Emission Standards for New, Reconstructed, and Modi-
fied Sources Reconsideration,’’ 85 FR 57398 (September 15, 2020), by
September 2021.
(ii) Establishing Ambitious, Job-Creating Fuel Economy Standards: ‘‘The
Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule Part One: One Na-
tional Program,’’ 84 FR 51310 (September 27, 2019), by April 2021; and
‘‘The Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule for Model Years
2021–2026 Passenger Cars and Light Trucks,’’ 85 FR 24174 (April 30,
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2020), by July 2021. In considering whether to propose suspending, revis-
ing, or rescinding the latter rule, the agency should consider the views
of representatives from labor unions, States, and industry.
(iii) Job-Creating Appliance- and Building-Efficiency Standards: ‘‘Energy
Conservation Program for Appliance Standards: Procedures for Use in
New or Revised Energy Conservation Standards and Test Procedures for
Consumer Products and Commercial/Industrial Equipment,’’ 85 FR 8626
(February 14, 2020), with major revisions proposed by March 2021 and
any remaining revisions proposed by June 2021; ‘‘Energy Conservation
Program for Appliance Standards: Procedures for Evaluating Statutory Fac-
tors for Use in New or Revised Energy Conservation Standards,’’ 85 FR
50937 (August 19, 2020), with major revisions proposed by March 2021
and any remaining revisions proposed by June 2021; ‘‘Final Determination
Regarding Energy Efficiency Improvements in the 2018 International Energy
Conservation Code (IECC),’’ 84 FR 67435 (December 10, 2019), by May
2021; ‘‘Final Determination Regarding Energy Efficiency Improvements
in ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1–2016: Energy Standard for Buildings,
Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings,’’ 83 FR 8463 (February 27, 2018),
by May 2021.
(iv) Protecting Our Air from Harmful Pollution: ‘‘National Emission Stand-
ards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Coal- and Oil-Fired Electric Utility
Steam Generating Units—Reconsideration of Supplemental Finding and
Residual Risk and Technology Review,’’ 85 FR 31286 (May 22, 2020),
by August 2021; ‘‘Increasing Consistency and Transparency in Considering
Benefits and Costs in the Clean Air Act Rulemaking Process,’’ 85 FR
84130 (December 23, 2020), as soon as possible; ‘‘Strengthening Trans-
parency in Pivotal Science Underlying Significant Regulatory Actions and
Influential Scientific Information,’’ 86 FR 469 (January 6, 2021), as soon
as possible.
(b) Within 30 days of the date of this order, heads of agencies shall
submit to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
a preliminary list of any actions being considered pursuant to section (2)(a)
of this order that would be completed by December 31, 2021, and that
would be subject to OMB review. Within 90 days of the date of this order,
heads of agencies shall submit to the Director of OMB an updated list
of any actions being considered pursuant to section (2)(a) of this order
that would be completed by December 31, 2025, and that would be subject
to OMB review. At the time of submission to the Director of OMB, heads
of agencies shall also send each list to the National Climate Advisor. In
addition, and at the same time, heads of agencies shall send to the National
Climate Advisor a list of additional actions being considered pursuant to
section (2)(a) of this order that would not be subject to OMB review.
(c) Heads of agencies shall, as appropriate and consistent with applicable
law, consider whether to take any additional agency actions to fully enforce
the policy set forth in section 1 of this order. With respect to the Adminis-
trator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the following specific actions
should be considered:
(i) proposing new regulations to establish comprehensive standards of
performance and emission guidelines for methane and volatile organic
compound emissions from existing operations in the oil and gas sector,
including the exploration and production, transmission, processing, and
storage segments, by September 2021; and
(ii) proposing a Federal Implementation Plan in accordance with the Envi-
ronmental Protection Agency’s ‘‘Findings of Failure To Submit State Imple-
mentation Plan Revisions in Response to the 2016 Oil and Natural Gas
Industry Control Techniques Guidelines for the 2008 Ozone National Ambi-
ent Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and for States in the Ozone Transport
Region,’’ 85 FR 72963 (November 16, 2020), for California, Connecticut,
New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas by January 2022.
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(d) The Attorney General may, as appropriate and consistent with applica-
ble law, provide notice of this order and any actions taken pursuant to
section 2(a) of this order to any court with jurisdiction over pending litigation
related to those agency actions identified pursuant to section (2)(a) of this
order, and may, in his discretion, request that the court stay or otherwise
dispose of litigation, or seek other appropriate relief consistent with this
order, until the completion of the processes described in this order.
(e) In carrying out the actions directed in this section, heads of agencies
shall seek input from the public and stakeholders, including State local,
Tribal, and territorial officials, scientists, labor unions, environmental advo-
cates, and environmental justice organizations.
Sec. 3. Restoring National Monuments. (a) The Secretary of the Interior,
as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, including the Antiquities
Act, 54 U.S.C. 320301 et seq., shall, in consultation with the Attorney
General, the Secretaries of Agriculture and Commerce, the Chair of the
Council on Environmental Quality, and Tribal governments, conduct a review
of the monument boundaries and conditions that were established by Procla-
mation 9681 of December 4, 2017 (Modifying the Bears Ears National Monu-
ment); Proclamation 9682 of December 4, 2017 (Modifying the Grand Stair-
case-Escalante National Monument); and Proclamation 10049 of June 5, 2020
(Modifying the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monu-
ment), to determine whether restoration of the monument boundaries and
conditions that existed as of January 20, 2017, would be appropriate.
(b) Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of the Interior
shall submit a report to the President summarizing the findings of the
review conducted pursuant to subsection (a), which shall include rec-
ommendations for such Presidential actions or other actions consistent with
law as the Secretary may consider appropriate to carry out the policy set
forth in section 1 of this order.
(c) The Attorney General may, as appropriate and consistent with applica-
ble law, provide notice of this order to any court with jurisdiction over
pending litigation related to the Grand Staircase-Escalante, Bears Ears, and
Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monuments, and may,
in his discretion, request that the court stay the litigation or otherwise
delay further litigation, or seek other appropriate relief consistent with this
order, pending the completion of the actions described in subsection (a)
of this section.