The House of Representatives paved the way for a substantial reform of the federal environmental review process last Thursday, proceeding with the legislation even after last-minute changes led clean energy groups and several moderate Democrats to withdraw their support.
The Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act, or SPEED Act, successfully passed despite resistance from environmentalists and a number of Democrats. These groups oppose the bill's extensive alterations to a fundamental environmental law.
Proposed by Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and supported by Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine), the bill was approved by the House with a 221-196 vote. In an interesting turn of events, 11 Democrats joined Republican lawmakers in backing the reform effort. The bill will now proceed to the Senate, where it faces a mix of critics and proponents from both parties, casting uncertainty on its future.
The legislation aims to reform essential environmental regulations that determine how major governmental projects are assessed and approved. This involves amendments to the landmark 1970 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), initially signed into law under President Nixon's administration. NEPA mandates that federal agencies evaluate and publicize the environmental effects of major projects before granting permits or providing funding. Although NEPA reviews constitute only part of the federal permitting process, supporters emphasize their vital role in enabling the government and the public to scrutinize potential environmental impacts of large-scale projects.
Critics have long argued that the complexity of the reviews, along with legal disputes over review outcomes, has transformed NEPA into a source of considerable delays hindering the viability of major projects, including power plants and renewable energy developments on federal land.
In remarks on the House floor before the vote, Westerman characterized the SPEED Act as a measure to “restore common sense and accountability to federal permitting.” While he praised the original intent of NEPA, Westerman claimed that the law's environmental protections have been overshadowed by it becoming more associated with bureaucratic obstacles and inefficiencies.