Trump administration fast-tracks oil and mining projects, angering environmentalists

The Trump administration said it will accelerate permit approvals for mining, drilling and fossil fuel production and transportation on public land, fast-tracking a review process that would normally take years. 

In announcing the emergency procedures Wednesday, the Department of the Interior, which oversees the management of federal lands and natural resources, said the permitting process will now take up to "28 days at most" — a drastic departure from the current one- to two-year timeline. 

The government agency said the move is in response to President Trump's declaration of a national energy emergency on Day 1 of his second term. In an executive order, the White House said it would "eliminate harmful, coercive 'climate' policies that increase the costs of food and fuel."