WASHINGTON, D.C. — In response to today’s final CEQ rulemaking reversing 2020 NEPA updates Marty Durbin, Senior Vice President of Policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce issued the following statement:
"It should never take longer to get federal approval for an infrastructure project than it takes to build the project, but that very well may be the result of the administration’s changes that revert back to the broken 1978 NEPA review process.
"The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, building on the NEPA updates implemented in 2020, established bipartisan support for badly needed permitting improvements. A more efficient permitting process is critical for building modern infrastructure, including new roads, renewable energy facilities, telecommunications, and other critical forms of infrastructure.
"Layering on more requirements in the Phase 1 rule announced today compounded by another more onerous set of Phase 2 requirements expected later this year will serve only to smother recent progress. With rapidly rising inflation, major supply chain disruptions and workforce shortages, the last thing our country needs is unnecessarily extensive and duplicative bureaucratic red tape and delayed project approvals.
"We urge the Administration to reconsider their path on NEPA and instead listen to the numerous stakeholders opposed to these changes from across the economy who are united in our desire to achieve progress on infrastructure, clean energy, environmental justice and manufacturing."
