Congressional Correspondence

Along with dozens of powerful business groups, APGA called on Congress this week to update the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The submitted letter highlighted that the COVID-19 pandemic has raised the need for the nation to invest in highways, roads, bridges, and pipelines. The Trump Administration rewrote NEPA to allow for faster environmental permitting and narrow the scope of what must be reviewed. APGA was supportive of these efforts, recognizing the need for balance between protecting the environment but also not having such a burdensome infrastructure construction process.

Unfortunately, the Biden Administration is already looking at how to reverse some of the permit streamlining efforts, including cancelling the “one federal decision” policy. There were 41 signatories on the letter, and it was timely, as Brenda Mallory, President Biden’s pick to lead the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), spoke on NEPA during a hearing this week before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. She specifically said she will work to ensure NEPA reviews are done in a robust way, but “in a way that ensures that we have significant infrastructure projects and that economic recovery, which is based on those projects, can occur.” APGA staff will be monitoring the work of CEQ and others that could impact the pipeline permitting processes.