ConservAmerica Public Comments on Proposed NEPA Regulations

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ConservAmerica today submitted written comments on the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) proposed revisions to the regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

It has been more than 40 years since CEQ’s rules implementing NEPA have been revised. In that time, the NEPA environmental review and permitting process has become increasingly complex and time-consuming. It now extends far beyond what Congress originally intended – which was a procedural statute requiring federal agencies to assess the environmental, social, and economic impacts of proposed major federal actions. 

ConservAmerica believes that NEPA serves an important purpose and that there should be an efficient and comprehensive review of project impacts. But the current process fails on both economic and environmental grounds. The lengthy submissions and almost certain litigation impose unnecessary delays and costs that often result in the cancellation of projects that, in many cases, would advance the very environmental improvements that NEPA sought to achieve. We have witnessed this over and over again with the delays and derailing of natural gas pipelines, electricity transmission lines, and wind farms, as well as with other major infrastructure projects. The timing of this proposal is particularly poignant given the compelling need to modernize America’s energy system and transition to a lower-carbon energy future. 

Read the full comments here.