Will Expediting NEPA Reviews for Infrastructure Speed Up Projects?

摘要

"At a time when job growth must be a top priority," the president proclaimed, "it is critical that agencies take steps to expedite [environmental] permitting and review." We must "ensur[e] that smart infrastructure projects move as quickly as possible from drawing board to completion." NEPA practitioners may be forgiven if they believe these words were uttered in 2017 by President Trump, as part of his campaign to streamline infrastructure approvals. They are, in fact, from Obama's 2011 memorandum on Speeding Infrastructure Development through More Efficient and Effective Permitting and Environmental Review. Is this deja vu all over again?