WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), released the following statement on President Trump’s executive order establishing discipline and accountability in the environmental review and permitting process for infrastructure projects.
"I applaud President Trump for working to get transportation and other projects started faster,” said Barrasso. “Often the largest hurdles are approvals from Washington. If we expedite review processes, while still making sure we are protecting the environment, then we can start building faster. This is a commonsense way to create jobs, boost our economy, and upgrade our infrastructure.”
The executive order requires federal agencies to process environmental reviews and permitting decisions for major projects under a “One Federal Decision” plan. This plan identifies a lead agency that will work with all other relevant agencies to develop a unified schedule for completion
The order calls for the federal government to process all actions required by federal law for environmental reviews and permits of major infrastructure projects within two years.
The order also withdraws a 2015 Obama administration executive order that created new barriers to building and repairing infrastructure by changing the definition of flood plain.
Background Information:
On May 3, 2017, the EPW Committee held an oversight hearing on “Infrastructure Project Streamlining and Efficiency: Achieving Faster, Better, and Cheaper Results.”
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