In a move designed to speed up disaster response efforts, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an Interim Final Rule (IFR) today that gives state, local, and tribal governments more freedom to use commercial and industrial incinerators for post-disaster debris removal — without having to jump through the usual regulatory hoops.

The change comes as a direct response to longstanding requests from states that say they need faster, more flexible cleanup options after hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and other major disasters.

According to the EPA, the new rule temporarily allows Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incinerators (CISWI) to burn non-hazardous debris for up to eight weeks without full Clean Air Act approval — with possible extensions available.

“With this action, EPA is giving state, local, and tribal leaders flexibility to take necessary steps to quickly and effectively respond to and recover from natural disasters,” said Administrator Lee Zeldin, emphasizing the rule’s role in cutting “red tape” to help communities bounce back faster.

The decision comes amid a broader push from the Trump administration to reduce federal oversight in favor of local control — particularly in emergency response scenarios. The EPA pointed to last year’s Hurricane Helene, where the Biden administration declined North Carolina’s request to use CISWI due to a lack of temporary-use provisions.

Fast-Tracking Recovery… or Fast-Tracking Pollution?

While supporters hail the move as common-sense emergency reform, environmental advocates are sounding the alarm over what they see as a slippery slope — one that risks sidelining air quality standards in the name of expedience.

Critics note that while the rule requires incinerators to continue using pollution control equipment, emissions monitoring won’t be enhanced, and the EPA is projecting “zero changes” to emissions — a claim some experts view with skepticism.

“We’ve heard this kind of promise before — that emissions won’t increase — but without robust oversight and real-time monitoring, it’s hard to believe,” said Jessica Holloway, an environmental health researcher at Georgetown University. “The concern is that burning more debris, faster, with fewer checks could lead to spikes in particulate matter and toxic byproducts, especially in communities already hit hard by the disaster.”

Others warn that temporary rules have a way of becoming permanent — or at least regularly invoked.

“When we start making exceptions for the worst-case scenarios, we often find ourselves living in a state of exception,” said Carlos Rivera, a policy analyst at Clean Air Watch. “Emergency powers are sometimes necessary, but they should never become the norm.”

There’s no doubt that natural disasters are becoming more frequent and more intense, and fast cleanup is critical. Debris left to rot can contaminate water supplies, worsen air quality, and delay recovery.

But the question remains: can environmental safeguards and speed coexist?

For now, the EPA says this rule is a short-term tool to support immediate relief, not a long-term shift. The agency is accepting public comment for 45 days, and it emphasizes that any extended use beyond the initial eight weeks still requires EPA approval.

In short, the rule may help move cleanup crews in faster — but it also reopens the debate about how much environmental oversight is too much during a crisis… and whether “flexibility” now could mean breathing dirtier air later.