REGULATIONS: Dems want more time to review NEPA overhaul

Todd Ockert

Moderator
Kelsey Brugger, E&E News reporter E&E PM: Tuesday, January 21, 2020
2364


House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and more than 100 other Democrats want the White House Council on Environmental Quality to expand the comment period on proposed National Environmental Policy Act rules. Francis Chung/E&E News

More than 100 congressional Democrats want the White House to triple the public comment period on the Trump administration's proposal to update National Environmental Policy Act rules.

The Council on Environmental Quality proposal has generated a deluge of criticism from environmentalists and Democrats. The changes would streamline environmental reviews for major federal actions on projects like highways, pipelines and transmission lines (Greenwire, Jan. 9).

Today, House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), House Natural Resources Chairman Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Senate Environment and Public Works Committee ranking member Tom Carper (D-Del.) led a letter asking for more time for input.

Their missive said the proposal would limit the extent to which government agencies can consider climate impacts.

"Pretending as if climate change doesn't play a role in long-term impacts is reckless and costly," the lawmakers wrote. "Not only is removing these requirements a bad idea for public health and our environment, but it will end up costing taxpayers more when projects aren't built to be resilient."

The Democrats called for the public comment period to last six months rather than 60 days. As it stands, the period ends March 10.

"We urge you to extend the comment period to a duration commensurate with the scope and gravity of changes that CEQ proposes," the members wrote.

They also called the two scheduled public meetings "insufficient" and urged CEQ to hold at least five face-to-face public meetings throughout the country.
 

ModernJeeper

Administrator
Staff member
Sometimes it's easy to give up thinking that the government is merely expert at slowing down the process...but we all must stay vigilant to ensure our trails our considered and our access is kept open.
 
Top