Dear Chair Neumayr, We urge CEQ to issue updates to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) implementing regulations to modernize the Federal environmental review and permitting process with the goal of increasing infrastructure investment and project development in a manner that strengthens our economy and enhances environmental stewardship.
Our organizations represent broad sectors such as agriculture, energy, forestry, manufacturing, and transportation that form the backbone of America’s industrial economy, and we fully support the fundamental goals of NEPA to appropriately consider the potential environmental impacts of certain federal actions. However, CEQ regulations guiding NEPA processes have not been comprehensively updated in nearly four decades. During this time, securing approval for projects and land management decisions has become hampered by unreasonable costs and long project delays. It is time to modernize NEPA processes.