SAN ANTONIO • President Donald Trump’s support for shifting more power to states took a back seat Wednesday to his affinity for oil and gas production as he aimed to make it harder for states to block pipelines and other energy projects due to environmental concerns.

At the urging of business groups, Trump was to sign two executive orders designed to speed up oil and gas pipeline projects.

The action comes after officials in Washington state and New York used the permitting process to stop new energy projects in recent years.

His administration insisted that it was not trying to take power away from the states but, rather, trying to make sure that state actions follow the intent of the Clean Water Act.

Less than a week ago, nearly a dozen business groups told EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler that the environmental review and permitting process for energy projects “has become a target for environmental activists and states that oppose the production and use of fossil fuels.”

The groups said in an April 5 letter that individual states shouldn’t be able to use provisions of the Clean Water Act “to dictate national policy, thereby harming other states and the national interest and damaging cooperative federalism.”

Washington state blocked the building of a coal terminal in 2017, saying there were too many major harmful impacts including air pollution, rail safety and vehicle traffic.

New York regulators stopped a natural gas pipeline, saying it failed to meet standards to protect streams, wetlands and other water resources.

Under a section of the law, companies must get certification from the state before moving ahead with an energy project.

One of Trump’s planned executive orders calls for the EPA to consult with states, tribes and others before issuing new guidance and rules for states on how to comply with the law.

Environmental groups described Trump’s order as an effort to short-circuit a state’s ability to review complicated projects, putting at risk a state’s ability to protect drinking water supplies and wildlife.

“The Trump administration’s proposal would trample on state authority to protect waters within their own borders,” said Jim Murphy, senior counsel for the National Wildlife Federation.

The private Center for Biological Diversity said the orders would mark the fourth time Trump has used taken such steps to streamline permits for fossil-fuel infrastructure.

“Trump’s developing an addiction to executive orders that rubber-stamp these climate-killing projects,” said Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the center.

President Donald Trump speaks Wednesday about America’s border policy during a fundraising event in San Antonio.

the associated press