Infrastructure Acceleration: Limiting Delays in Environmental Reviews for Projects
This bill aims to streamline and accelerate the permitting process for major infrastructure projects by reducing bureaucracy and setting strict deadlines for environmental reviews. For citizens, this means potentially faster construction of roads, bridges, and public works, but also a shorter timeframe for analyzing the environmental impact on natural resources and local communities. It introduces financial penalties for agencies that miss deadlines, forcing greater efficiency in government operations.
Key points
Strict Deadlines: Federal agencies must complete a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) within 2 years and an Environmental Assessment (EA) within 1 year. Missing the deadline may result in financial penalties paid to the applicant.
Scope Limitation: Environmental reviews will focus only on effects occurring on Federal land or subject to Federal control, excluding many indirect impacts.
Judicial Review Limits: A 120-day statute of limitations is imposed for challenging decisions, and injunctive relief (court orders stopping a project) is prohibited unless there is a risk of imminent and substantial environmental harm.
Document Simplification: Page limits are set for environmental documents (150 pages for EIS, 75 pages for EA) to make the review process more concise.
Applicant Preparation: The lead agency may allow the project sponsor to prepare the environmental assessment or impact statement, though the agency must independently evaluate and take responsibility for the content.
Expired
Citizen Poll