Presidential Memorandum April 20, 2026

Presidential Determination Concerning the Air Force’s Jet Fighter Training Operations in Idaho, Oregon, and Nevada

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In Simple Terms

This action lets the Air Force keep doing jet fighter training in parts of Idaho, Oregon, and Nevada for one year without having to follow most water pollution rules. It says this is needed for the national interest.

Summary

President Donald J. Trump issued a memorandum exempting the Air Force’s jet fighter training operations in Idaho, Oregon, and Nevada from federal, state, interstate, and local water-pollution control requirements and related enforcement processes. The exemption is made under section 313 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and applies for one year, from April 20, 2026, through April 20, 2027. The order says this step is being taken because Trump determined it is in the “paramount interest” of the United States. It also makes clear that the exemption does not cover certain Clean Water Act provisions in 33 U.S.C. 1316 and 1317, and it directs the Secretary of the Air Force to publish the determination in the Federal Register.

Official Record

Awaiting Federal Register

Published on WhiteHouse.gov

View on WhiteHouse.gov

April 20, 2026

Pending Federal Register publication

Analysis & Impact

💡 How This May Affect You

Working families near training areas may face higher concern about local water quality, while military-related jobs continue.
Small businesses may benefit from continued base activity, but outdoor, farming, or tourism businesses could worry about water impacts.
Students and recent graduates may see steadier military and contractor opportunities, but less local certainty about environmental protections.
Retirees and seniors may worry about drinking water and recreation access, especially in communities near training ranges.
Rural areas near ranges may feel the biggest direct effects; suburban and urban areas may see mainly economic spillovers.

🏢 Key Stakeholders

U.S. Air Force benefits most, gaining one-year relief from water-pollution compliance sanctions.
EPA and Air Force leadership are key implementers, overseeing exemption scope and publication.
State and local environmental regulators in Idaho, Oregon, and Nevada lose oversight authority.
Conservation groups like Oregon Natural Desert Association face setbacks challenging pollution controls.
Nearby ranching, tribal, recreation, and conservation-dependent communities may face heightened water-risk concerns.

📈 What to Expect

Air Force training continues uninterrupted despite pending water-pollution litigation and state objections.
EPA and states pause enforcement actions tied to covered training-related water pollution.
Environmental groups likely challenge exemption scope, timing, and factual justification in court.
Exemption expiration forces renewal decision, settlement, or resumed Clean Water Act disputes.
If renewed, states lose leverage over training-related water pollution oversight in affected ranges.
Court rulings could narrow future presidential exemptions under Clean Water Act section 313.

📚 Historical Context

Echoes prior national-security environmental waivers, especially Reagan-era military exemptions under pollution-control statutes.
Builds on Clean Water Act section 313 authority; presidents rarely invoke this “paramount interest” exemption publicly.
Similar to Bush and Obama military-readiness accommodations, but narrower: one-year exemption for specific training ranges.
Modifies federal-state relations by suspending state and local water-pollution enforcement against Air Force operations.
Historically notable because it responds amid active litigation, formalizing executive intervention during an unresolved court dispute.