The move was the latest, and one of the broadest, regulation-easing moves by the EPA, which is seeking to roll back dozens of regulations as part of President Trump’s purge of rules that the administration sees as unfriendly to business.

“No one has ever seen anything like this. This is a complete pass for every industry,” said Gina McCarthy, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council and a former Obama-era EPA chief. “It basically says that if somehow it’s related to COVID-19, then you don’t have to worry — and this is retroactive to earlier in the month — about monitoring or keeping records.”

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This is a time where environmental protection is more crucial than ever. Using COVID-19 as an excuse to relax enforcement is cynical politics at its very worst.