President Donald Trump issued an executive order earlier this month directing federal government agencies to waive environmental regulations and to take other actions necessary to streamline and expedite infrastructure projects.

The order, designed to help hasten the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, effectively does away with the responsibility for federal agencies to abide by regulations established by laws like the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Water Act and aims to speed up public works projects that will create jobs. 

The order includes not only surface transportation projects but infrastructure, energy, environmental and natural resources projects on federal lands as well. It is up to the Council on Environmental Quality, a division of the Executive Office of the President, to approve "alternative arrangements" for each federal agency when they believe emergency circumstances make it necessary to circumvent environmental regulations as written.​

Construction Dive wants to know your thoughts on the subject for our new summer series, Friday Feedback. Should regulations be waived in order to help create jobs?

Answer our quick survey and have your voice heard, and click here for results from last week’s reader survey about whether projects in high-risk areas should be shut down. Results of this week's survey will be published next week.