The U.S. House of Representatives' Task Force on NEPA: The Professors Speak

摘要

Earlier this year, the U.S. House of Representatives Resources Committee launched a Task Force on Improving the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). organizing a number of hearings across the country. While industry representatives complained of interference and delays in project approvals, environmentalists asserted that the statute works and praised its venue for public participation. The aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita added more fuel to the controversy. In October 2005, over 200 law professors from across the country submitted written testimony to the Task Force, coordinated by Prof. Zygmunt Plater of Boston College Law School, Prof. Patrick Parenteau of Vermont Law School, and the author. This Article describes the Task Force, the hearings, and the law professors' submission, which is reprinted in full below. As their testimony reveals, the professors are supportive of NEPA and its basic mechanisms, particularly the roles of alternatives, public participation, and judicial review. They also make several recommendations for strengthening the environmental review process.