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White House Guidance Issued on Streamlining Environmental Process

State NEPA Reviews Targeted

On Feb. 26, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) provided guidance clarifying elements of President Trump's Aug. 15, 2017, executive order (EO), aimed at reducing the permitting time for large infrastructure projects to two years. The guidance clarifies that the EO applies to state agencies that have been assigned National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) responsibilities making them responsible for keeping the permitting timetable to two years. Under the Surface Transportation Project Delivery Program established in 2005, U.S. DOT can grant states the authority to complete requirements for NEPA review for highway infrastructure projects. Thus far, six states—Alaska, California, Florida, Ohio, Texas, and Utah—have been granted the NEPA review authority. Several other states have also applied.
 

For more information, contact Leah Pilconis at pilconisl@agc.org or (703) 837-5332 or Brian Deery at deeryb@agc.org or (703)837-5319.

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