Join us in urging the committee to take a balanced approach that protects both economic interests and the fundamental rights of communities to clean air, water, and land. Permitting reform should not come at the expense of environmental protection and community well-being. Instead, it should enhance efficiency through improved coordination, increased agency funding, and prioritization of clean energy and climate-friendly projects. Weakening safeguards for fossil fuel infrastructure and extractive industries will only deepen environmental injustices, drain resources, and accelerate climate change.

TALKING POINTS:

Strengthen, Not Weaken, NEPA and Environmental Review Processes

• Maintain the core principles of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) while enhancing efficiency through improved coordination between agencies.

• Require robust community consultation early in the process, ensuring that frontline and Indigenous communities have a meaningful voice in decision-making.

• Mandate cumulative impact assessments, particularly for projects in historically burdened communities, to evaluate long-term environmental and health consequences.

Improve Interagency Coordination and Streamlining Without Cutting Protections

• Establish a Lead Agency Coordination Framework to ensure that multiple agencies involved in permitting work collaboratively, reducing redundant steps while upholding environmental protections.

• Utilize clear and standardized timelines for reviews, but allow for extensions when significant environmental or community concerns arise.

• Increase funding for agencies responsible for environmental reviews to prevent delays caused by understaffing and resource constraints.

Prioritize Clean Energy Projects and Climate-Resilient Infrastructure

• Expedite permitting for renewable energy projects, transmission infrastructure, and climate-resilient initiatives that support a just transition to clean energy.

• Encourage the development of grid modernization and battery storage projects that enhance national energy security without increasing reliance on fossil fuels.

• Ensure that any streamlining efforts do not fast-track high-risk fossil fuel infrastructure that exacerbates climate change and threatens frontline communities.

Enhance Community Engagement and Transparency

• Require free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) from Indigenous nations and impacted communities for any projects affecting their lands, waters, and resources.

• Improve public access to permitting information, ensuring transparency through easily accessible online databases tracking project status and potential impacts.

• Develop Community Advisory Boards to provide input on major infrastructure projects and ensure that local concerns are addressed early in the permitting process.

Implement Stronger Environmental Justice Safeguards

• Ensure that frontline communities disproportionately affected by environmental hazards receive heightened review and protections under federal permitting processes.

• Conduct health impact assessments (HIAs) as part of the environmental review process to evaluate potential effects on air and water quality, public health, and overall community well-being.

• Strengthen enforcement mechanisms to ensure that corporations and developers comply with environmental laws and do not exploit weakened permitting regulations.