The Big Story 

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum confirmed Friday officials are reviewing boundaries for several national monuments. The administration is reportedly looking to shrink some.

© Getty Images

“When we’re taking a look, we have an executive order from President Trump to review these, to say ‘are they the appropriate size?’” Burgum told Semafor during a Friday event.

“We’ll go through a thorough review,” he said, adding, “this is not a top priority for the administration.”

His comments come after The Washington Post reported that department aides are considering shrinking at least six national monuments across Arizona, California, New Mexico and Utah: Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni-Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon, Ironwood Forest, Chuckwalla, Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks, Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante.

Burgum did not explicitly say which monuments were under review. But, his comments came in response to a question about whether the department was considering removing protections for six monuments, as reported by The Post.

A spokesperson for the Interior Department said the review is ongoing but declined to provide additional details. 

Read more at TheHill.com.

Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, I’m Rachel Frazin — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.

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Essential Reads 

How policy will affect the energy and environment sectors now and in the future:

Trump DOT replaces lawyers defending it on New York congestion pricing

Climate change could deliver considerable blows to US corn growers, insurers: Study

North Dakota governor signs measure protecting pesticide makers from lawsuits

What We’re Reading 

News we’ve flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics:

• Biden administration acknowledges it can force Bitcoin mines to disclose pollution (The Verge) 

   

• An ‘inland tsunami’: 15 million people are at risk from catastrophic glacial lake outbursts, researchers find (CNN) 

• The U.N. Secretary-General’s Searing Message for the Fossil-Fuel Industry (The New Yorker) 

On Our Radar 

Upcoming news themes and events we’re watching next week:

The House is expected to vote to overturn California car and truck rules.

Here’s what else we’re watching:

Tuesday

• The House Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing on deep sea mining.

Wednesday

• The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing on nominees for key roles at the Energy and Interior departments.
  

• The House Science, Space and Technology Committee will hold a hearing on the Energy Department’s loan guarantee program.

• The House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a hearing titled “Assuring Abundant, Reliable American Energy to Power Innovation.”
• The Senate Environment and Public Works committee will hold a hearing on water infrastructure programs.

Thursday

• The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee will hold a hearing on President Trump’s nominee for the No. 2 role at the Commerce Department.

Friday

• Rachel will be speaking about her new book on “forever chemicals” at Politics and Prose at the Wharf in Washington, D.C.

What We’re Reading 

New science on climate harms could boost litigation (Axios)

Michigan nuclear plant set to restart, first for U.S. (Fox Business)

What Others are Reading 

Two key stories on The Hill right now:

Who is Hannah Dugan, judge arrested by FBI in Wisconsin?

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah C. Dugan was arrested Friday, with federal authorities alleging the judge tried to impede with President Trump’s immigration agenda by helping a migrant illegally in the country avoid arrest in her courtroom. Read more

Trump: ‘I’m really not trolling’ with talk of Canada as 51st state

President Trump in an interview published Friday was adamant that he is serious about his talk of adding Canada as the 51st state, something Canadian leaders have outright rejected. Read more

Opinions in The Hill 

Op-ed related to energy & environment submitted to The Hill: