{ "id": "RL33267", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "RL33267", "active": false, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 341195, "date": "2007-12-06", "retrieved": "2016-04-07T03:54:50.004671", "title": "The National Environmental Policy Act: Streamlining NEPA", "summary": "In recent years, the time needed to comply with various environmental laws has been the subject of public scrutiny and debate in Congress. As a result, numerous administrative and legislative efforts (both proposed and enacted) have intended to expedite or streamline the environmental compliance process. Although methods to do so vary, streamlining measures are often proposed or implemented when the participation of multiple local, state, tribal, or federal agencies is necessary to comply with various environmental requirements. Streamlining measures may be applied to various environmental compliance processes, such as federal permitting or approvals.\nA major focus of streamlining efforts has been the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. \u00a7\u00a7 4321, et seq.), the implementation of which is overseen by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). Among other provisions, NEPA requires federal agencies to analyze environmental impacts and involve the public before proceeding with any major federal action significantly affecting the human environment.\nMany agencies have implemented administrative and legislative streamlining actions, including the Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of Transportation (DOT), Department of the Interior (DOI), Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps), Department of Energy (DOE), and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Streamlining efforts vary from agency to agency but usually involve one or more of the following elements: designating a specific agency as the lead agency responsible for ensuring compliance with applicable requirements, directing the lead agency to develop a coordinated environmental review process, specifying certain lead agency authority (e.g., to establish project deadlines or develop dispute resolution procedures), codifying existing regulations, delegating specific federal authority to states, designating specific activities as being categorically excluded or exempt from certain elements of NEPA, and establishing limits on judicial review.\nStreamlining proposals have generated a great deal of controversy. Proponents of such measures argue that streamlining efforts are needed to cut through the \u201cbureaucratic red tape\u201d often associated with federal project delivery. Others counter that such actions are an attempt to weaken environmental protection and lessen public participation in federal decision-making processes.\nThis report discusses elements of NEPA relevant to streamlining, issues associated with determining project delays attributed to NEPA, common streamlining methods, and recently enacted legislative and administrative streamlining activities.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/RL33267", "sha1": "69a496b13a892006c30d42ade519e1081d033840", "filename": "files/20071206_RL33267_69a496b13a892006c30d42ade519e1081d033840.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RL33267", "sha1": "48ac7ada6429d6ce562f04762c3796ede9a1fdbb", "filename": "files/20071206_RL33267_48ac7ada6429d6ce562f04762c3796ede9a1fdbb.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc817788/", "id": "RL33267_2007Jan09", "date": "2007-01-09", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "The National Environmental Policy Act: Streamlining NEPA", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20070109_RL33267_7ad1f7b42f18cd85ebdb8f7d923a682e2823e5b6.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20070109_RL33267_7ad1f7b42f18cd85ebdb8f7d923a682e2823e5b6.html" } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc806549/", "id": "RL33267_2006Aug24", "date": "2006-08-24", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "The National Environmental Policy Act: Streamlining NEPA", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20060824_RL33267_3e939cb352cb3d3f5fbce29cea39be8de231b628.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20060824_RL33267_3e939cb352cb3d3f5fbce29cea39be8de231b628.html" } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs8945/", "id": "RL33267_2006Feb13", "date": "2006-02-13", "retrieved": "2006-07-03T14:26:20", "title": "The National Environment Policy Act: Streamlining NEPA", "summary": "This report discusses elements of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) relevant to streamlining, issues associated with determining project delays attributed to NEPA, common streamlining methods, and recently proposed and enacted legislative and administrative streamlining activities.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20060213_RL33267_6255082e4e37a87a838e0cd83cfa279f409d2236.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20060213_RL33267_6255082e4e37a87a838e0cd83cfa279f409d2236.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Environmental protection", "name": "Environmental protection" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Environmental law and legislation", "name": "Environmental law and legislation" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)", "name": "National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs8944/", "id": "RL33267_2006Feb08", "date": "2006-02-08", "retrieved": "2006-07-03T14:25:41", "title": "The National Environment Policy Act: Streamlining NEPA", "summary": "This report discusses elements of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) relevant to streamlining, issues associated with determining project delays attributed to NEPA, common streamlining methods, and recently proposed and enacted legislative and administrative streamlining activities.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20060208_RL33267_76916fb00433c48bfeddaae80ce3703d48423c21.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20060208_RL33267_76916fb00433c48bfeddaae80ce3703d48423c21.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Environmental protection", "name": "Environmental protection" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Environmental law and legislation", "name": "Environmental law and legislation" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)", "name": "National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)" } ] } ], "topics": [ "Economic Policy", "Energy Policy", "Environmental Policy" ] }