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Trump Administration Seeks to Streamline Infrastructure Permitting by Revising NEPAShare this on Facebook

In a move designed to speed up the permitting process for infrastructure projects, the White Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has issued proposed changes to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Mary B. Neumayr, CEQ chair, pointed out at a press conference with President Donald J.Trump announcing the proposed changes, that “Delays due to lengthy reviews and lawsuits increase costs for project applicants, states, tribes, localities and taxpayers. These delays deter investments, and these delays make our country less economically competitive."

According to the Construction Dive, Neumayr said the changes would significantly speed up the construction permitting process and called the proposed changes “commonsense.”

Some of the proposed changes include:

A two-year time limit for Environmental Impact Statements
-A requirement that federal agencies start gathering applicant and public information earlier in the review process
-Increased coordination between agencies
-Increased use of local, state and tribal documentation to avoid duplication of effort at the federal level
-Incorporation of modern technology into the regulations

You can read the entire proposal on the Federal Register here.