AGC Submits Recommendations
AGC submitted testimony to the House Small Business Committee at a hearing entitled “Expediting Economic Growth: How Streamlining Federal Permitting Can Cut Red Tape for Small Businesses.” AGC took the opportunity to urge Congress to implement reforms to the federal environmental review and permitting process. Time and money is wasted on redoing project analyses and reviews and on collecting duplicate information from permit applicants. AGC included its flow chart of environmental permits to illustrate some of the regulatory hurdles that contractors must overcome.
Additionally, AGC recommended that Congress require a nationwide merger of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Clean Water Act Section 404 permitting processes, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issuing a 404 permit at the end of the NEPA process based on the information generated by NEPA. The monitoring, mitigation and other environmental planning work performed during the NEPA process, and included the final Environmental Impact Statement / Record of Decision, must satisfy federal environmental permitting requirements unless there is a material change in the project. Further, AGC urged Congress to consider a reasonable and measured approach to citizen suit reform to prevent misuse of environmental laws. These lawsuits can take years to resolve and, in far too many cases, litigation impedes projects that are vital to the renovation and improvement of our nation’s infrastructure.
AGC will continue to advocate in Congress and with the Administration for practical regulatory reform and additional infrastructure funding.
You can read AGC’s Enviro Permit Flow Chart Backgrounder.
You can read AGC’s Reforms for Improving Federal Environmental Review and Permitting.
For more information, contact [email protected] or (703) 837-5368.