Trump Administration Proposes Revisions to Streamline Environmental Review Process under National Environmental Policy Act
For many mining and infrastructure projects in the United States, a primary cause of permitting uncertainty, expense, and delay is compliance with the environmental review process under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). On January 10, 2020, the Council on Environmental Quality (“CEQ”) proposed comprehensive revisions to the regulations implementing the NEPA. 85 Fed. Reg. 1684. NEPA documentation is generally required for any project, public or private, that requires approvals from the federal government. The proposed revisions to the NEPA regulations are part of the Trump administration’s efforts to streamline their NEPA review processes. The proposed regulatory revisions include the following changes, among others: More Exemptions from NEPA Review – The proposed rules...
