Trump to reverse Obama-era environmental rules in executive orders: report

U.S. President Donald Trump will reverse a handful of Obama-era environmental regulations in executive orders that could be signed as early as this week, the Washington Post reported, citing unnamed sources with knowledge of the orders.

The orders will instruct the Department of the Interior to lift a ban on new coal mining leases on federal lands and will instruct the Environmental Protection Agency to make changes to greenhouse gas emissions curbs on electric utilities, according to the report on Monday.

EPA employees had been told that Trump could sign some executive orders shortly after his pick to head the agency, Scott Pruitt, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate, but they were not given the details of the orders, two EPA sources have told Reuters.

(This story has been refiled to correct day of week of newspaper report.)

(Writing by Richard Valdmanis Editing by W Simon)