US Lawmaker Praises EPA for Letting Trump Decide on New Uranium Rules

A decision by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to delay a proposed set of regulations on uranium mining until after President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration has won the agency unusual plaudits from a fierce critic in Congress, Senator Mike Enzi, according to a statement issued by the lawmaker on Thursday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The proposed regulations are intended to protect groundwater from contamination by byproducts of uranium mining. Instead of finalizing the rules this month, the EPA decided to allow a second 180 period of public comment, according to the EPA website. The delay will allow Trump to make a final decision.

"I rarely say this about the EPA, but the agency made the right decision in delaying implementation of this new rule, which could burden the industry with unnecessary red-tape," Enzi said. "I urge President-elect Donald Trump to carefully review the proposed rule so the new Administration can clearly understand the consequences of these regulations on a vital industry."

Trump has accused the administration of President Barack Obama of hobbling the US economy with excessive regulatory actions and has vowed to undue many of the rules imposed in the past eight years.

Uranium mining is a key industry in Enzi’s home state of Wyoming.

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