Modernizing NEPA for the 21st Century by ConservAmerica President Jeff Kupfer

The White House Council on Environmental Quality recently released a set of provisions to update the National Environmental Policy Act regulations. The proposed updates would streamline the current process for allowing new developments to be built on American soil. 

This update to NEPA’s rules, which have remained more or less unchanged for 50 years, is long overdue. And it’s a change that business leaders and environmentalists alike should embrace.

Originally signed into law back in 1970, NEPA was created as a procedural statute that requires federal agencies to assess and avoid the environmental impacts of major federal developments. Since NEPA was enacted, our federal agencies have become mindful of the damaging impacts human development can have on our natural resources.

Because of it, we have cleaner water, cleaner air and less pollution overall in our nation. It was an important and forward-thinking law when it was enacted, and our environment has undoubtedly benefited from NEPA. But that’s hardly the full story.

Read Jeff’s full op-ed at Morning Consult.