"Environmental groups are calling on the Supreme Court to review the legality of the Trump administration’s decision to exempt various border wall projects from environmental laws.

The Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, the Animal Legal Defense Fund, and the Southwest Environmental Center filed a petition Friday that says the federal government’s waiver authority violates the Constitution’s separation of powers among the branches of government.

At issue is how the Department of Homeland Security has issued a steady stream of waivers in recent years to fast-track construction along the U.S.-Mexico border, freeing the government from having to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, and other statutes."

Ellen M. Gilmer reports for Bloomberg Environment January 31, 2020. [2]