鶹ƵSubmits Recommendations
AGC to the House Small Business Committee at a hearing entitled “.” 鶹Ƶtook the opportunity to urge Congress to implement reforms to the federal environmental review and permitting process. Time and money is wasted on redoing project analyses and reviews and on collecting duplicate information from permit applicants. 鶹Ƶincluded its flow chart of environmental permits to illustrate some of the regulatory hurdles that contractors must overcome.
Additionally, 鶹Ƶrecommended that Congress require a nationwide merger of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Clean Water Act Section 404 permitting processes, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issuing a 404 permit at the end of the NEPA process based on the information generated by NEPA. The monitoring, mitigation and other environmental planning work performed during the NEPA process, and included the final Environmental Impact Statement / Record of Decision, must satisfy federal environmental permitting requirements unless there is a material change in the project. Further, 鶹Ƶurged Congress to consider a reasonable and measured approach to citizen suit reform to prevent misuse of environmental laws. These lawsuits can take years to resolve and, in far too many cases, litigation impedes projects that are vital to the renovation and improvement of our nation’s infrastructure.
鶹Ƶwill continue to advocate in Congress and with the Administration for practical regulatory reform and additional infrastructure funding.
You can read AGC’s .
You can read AGC’s Reforms for Improving Federal Environmental Review and Permitting.
For more information, contact Jordan.Howard@agc.org or (703) 837-5368.