Donald Trump’s designated top cop on the environment this week stopped just shy of exclaiming “drill, baby, drill,” the president-elect’s motto promising fossil fuels are making a comeback.Yet, former New York Congressman Lee Zeldin, the nominee to lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, made clear he is in lockstep with Trump’s economic agenda, "unleashing economic prosperity” through "energy dominance."That means more excavation of oil, natural gas and coal for power and fuel, shelving climate-fighting policies, shutting down so-called environmental justice initiatives and easing restrictions on polluters."Day one and the first 100 days, we have the opportunity to roll back regulations," Zeldin told Fox News, adding that EPA oversight causes businesses "to struggle."Trump has also promised the U.S. will have the "cleanest air and water on the planet."Using Trump’s first term as a guide, climate research and related projects will be shelved and pollution rules will be rescinded. EPA staff will be cut.Howard Learner, executive director of the Environmental Law & Policy Center in Chicago, said he expects Illinois and three other Midwest states now led by Democratic governors to push back on Trump’s agenda.Like Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota have Democratic governors and attorneys general who will bring legal action against a Trump White House if the president rolls back environmental safeguards, Learner predicts.Trump-proofing IllinoisLearner said he believes Illinois should pass a law that would protect environmental protections from automatically being eliminated if Trump chooses to rescind national policies.“It will be important for Illinois to step up and provide that protection,” Learner said.During his first term, Trump pulled the United States out of the Paris climate agreement, an international pact to limit fossil emissions. He also scrapped close to 100 regulations protecting the air, water and land.His second time around, among the federal pollution rules potentially in jeopardy include brand new protections against a deadly type of particle pollution in the air and a class of compounds known as forever chemicals that cannot naturally break down in the environment.Trump proposed big funding reductions to EPA in his first term. However, programs, such as a $400 million a year effort to protect the Great Lakes, benefit from bipartisan support in Congress. Legislators restored funding for that program and others that protect health and the environment after Trump proposed deep cuts.“I rarely encounter any American – at least outside of Washington – who wants more people to breathe dirty air, drink poisoned water and endure extreme weather events, no matter their political party,” Sen. Tammy Duckworth said in a statement to the Sun-Times. Related Lead in water a threat to two-thirds of young children in Chicago Pritzker’s signature environmental law, the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, phases out fossil fuels in the next 25 years. While that’s not a priority for Trump, there’s nothing explicitly spelled out in Trump’s agenda that would derail that effort."We are still reviewing the full implications of a second Trump term," said JC Kibbey, Pritzker's top climate adviser. "That said, it is up to the states to determine their energy mix, and [the climate law] is fully funded and implemented by the state of Illinois. Even if a new administration rolls back federal efforts to combat climate change, we expect to continue to move forward."Biden promised green jobsIn Chicago, community advocates argue that job creation or environmental protection need not be a choice and that both are possible.In fact, the state and private companies in Illinois could benefit from potentially billions of dollars in committed clean energy and transportation grants related to President Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act. Trump has said he wants to end payouts from the law, the most ambitious climate-fighting effort in U.S. history.Illinois has been awarded hundreds of millions of dollars over multiple years, while the government has promised billions to private companies in the state. Much of that money will be delivered later and some of it could be nixed by Trump.Many Republican-led states have received money under the law, however, which may make it difficult for Trump to claw back federal dollars promised."Completely repealing the [law] would be an uphill battle," said Angela Xu, municipal engagement manager with Illinois Environmental Council.Trump has also criticized efforts to speed the transition to electric vehicles. In this area, Pritzker has hesitated to offer a robust policy similar to California other states phasing out gas and diesel engines. Environmental and health groups are petitioning a state board in hopes of forcing the governor’s hand. What that means for Inflation Reduction Act grants tied to electric vehicles remains to be seen. President Joe Biden’s administration stepped in to the fight over metal scrapper General Iron’s planned move to the Southeast Side. President-elect Trump may undo some Biden’s initiatives on environmental protections, especially in low-income communities.Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times file photo Environmental justice in ChicagoBiden was arguably the most ambitious president in history to tackle environmental justice, an often-used term in Chicago that refers to low-income communities of color overburdened with pollution and health stresses. These are the communities that get pollution dumped on them over and over again.“I’m definitely concerned,” said Myrna Salgado-Romo, network manager for the Chicago Environmental Justice Network. Trump is “focused on economy and wealth instead of the well being of people. It’s a big concern for those of us in grassroots organizations.”Biden deployed his environmental chief Michael Regan to Chicago to intervene in the protest over metal scrapper General Iron moving to the Southeast Side from Lincoln Park. His EPA struck a deal with Gov. JB Pritzker to consider the vulnerability of environmental justice communities before issuing permits to polluting businesses. Last month, the president put Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on notice, speeding up a deadline to replace harmful lead water pipes across the city.Those are unlikely to be the same priorities of a Trump White House. Related General Iron operating permit rejection by city of Chicago upheld by judge The new administration has given plenty of previews of its environmental agenda, through documents, stump speeches and a track record from Trump’s first four years in office.“I am concerned the EPA will use the power of the federal government to turn back our nation’s clock to a time of outright oppression by dumping on and ignoring the needs of the most vulnerable communities,” said Matthew Tejada, a former high-ranking EPA official now with the Natural Resources Defense Council. Related EPA agrees to investigate Southwest Side waterway under Superfund program