From The Wall Street Journal, June 1:
Backers of permitting changes say measure marks good first step
The debt-ceiling bill that passed the House on Wednesday night makes some of the most far-reaching changes to the country’s landmark environmental law in decades, potentially accelerating new renewable-energy investments championed by the Biden administration.
The bill, which next goes to the Senate, tightens the scope of environmental reviews required under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1970 and allows more projects to win approval without having to undergo the most complex types of reviews. It also sets time limits of no more than two years to complete the studies.
And in a concession to the fossil-fuel industry, it expedites the permitting for the Mountain Valley Pipeline, a 303-mile natural gas pipeline in West Virginia and Virginia that has been tied up in litigation by opponents. The pipeline has been a top priority of Sen. Joe Manchin (D., W.Va.), a pivotal vote in the Senate who has also been an outspoken proponent of broader permitting changes....
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