Each year, 鶹Ƶseeks nominations for qualified and motivated individuals from the 鶹ƵEnvironmental Forum to serve on the steering committee for the forum. Would you like to play a leadership role in 鶹Ƶof America’s environmental advocacy, education and outreach efforts?
Submitted by: Jane C. Luxton and Amanda L. Tharpe
鶹ƵSupported Revisions Included
Over the last year and a half, the Federal Government has initiated a fast-paced agenda for reviewing and revising environmental policies. 鶹Ƶhas tracked and responded to relevant changes through the pre-proposal and proposal processes. The Fall Unified Agenda, released this week, signals that the agencies have no plans to slow their pace.
The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recently released a new memorandum (Memorandum M-18-25), in coordination with the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council, establishing a brand new “accountability system” to track and score federal agencies performance in meeting the President Trump’s two-year timeline for completing environmental reviews and authorization decisions on “major infrastructure projects.” The memo requires, and outlines the procedures by which, all agencies that have a role in environmental approvals for infrastructure must regularly track and measure their performance in meeting a list of goals that aim to expedite and improve infrastructure permitting. Agencies must submit tracking information to OMB and the Federal Agency Portal of the “Federal Infrastructure Permitting Dashboard.” OMB will score each agency’s performance, issue reports, and “consider each agency's performance during budget formulation and determine whether appropriate penalties... must or should be imposed.”
On Sept. 24, 鶹Ƶcommented on three proposed rules that would significantly affect the applicability and implementation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The proposed revisions pertain to regulations governing the listing and delisting of species and plants, the designation of critical habitat and the interagency consultations that are part of the approval process for projects that involve federal permits or funding. AGC’s comment letters (one, two and three) offered examples of why the current process is unpredictable and adds delay and cost to the permitting and construction of infrastructure projects nationwide.
On August 24, 鶹Ƶfiled joint comments in support of a proposal by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concluding the existing regulatory framework adequately prevents and contains discharges of hazardous substances.
Part One Kicks Off on Sept. 27 with a Look at Pollution Liability
Court Ruling Puts 2015 WOTUS Rule in Effect in 26 States
鶹ƵSupplies Recommendations to Streamline NEPA Procedures