Environmental Reviews – Passage

Passage of a bill that would modify the environmental review process for federally-funded projects and for federal permits for private projects by setting deadlines on agency reviews, and by limiting the grounds for civil actions against an environmental review or permit approval. The lead agency - which would need to set a review schedule and oversee the preparation of a single environmental review document that would satisfy National Environmental Policy Act review requirements - would have two years to complete the review, with the option to extend the review period by one year. When multiple agencies have jurisdiction over a project, the agencies would need to conduct their portions of the NEPA review concurrently, instead of sequentially. As amended, the bill would also prohibit federal agencies from considering the effects of greenhouse gas emissions and the effects of climate change in NEPA reviews.