{"id":2521381,"date":"2025-12-15T14:09:01","date_gmt":"2025-12-15T19:09:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wright-seeks-broad-based-reform-of-55-year-old-environmental-law-to-speed-permitting\/"},"modified":"2025-12-15T14:13:24","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T19:13:24","slug":"wright-seeks-broad-based-reform-of-55-year-old-environmental-law-to-speed-permitting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wright-seeks-broad-based-reform-of-55-year-old-environmental-law-to-speed-permitting\/","title":{"rendered":"Wright seeks &#8216;broad-based&#8217; reform of 55-year-old environmental law to speed permitting"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwright-seeks-broad-based-reform-of-55-year-old-environmental-law-to-speed-permitting%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2521381&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Energy secretary Chris Wright has called on Congress to implement broad reforms to the 55-year-old National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), aiming to speed up the permitting process for energy and infrastructure projects. NEPA requires federal agencies to assess the environmental impact of projects needing federal approval, such as pipelines and highways. Critics, including wright, argue that NEPA has become a source of excessive legal challenges and delays, transforming from a protective measure into a tool that hinders project development. The Trump administration and some <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >lawmakers support bipartisan permitting reforms<\/a> to make the process quicker, less costly, and more predictable.The House is expected to vote on the SPEED Act, which would overhaul NEPA by limiting the scope of environmental reviews, restricting agencies from delaying decisions for additional scientific research, and shortening the window for legal challenges. While the bill has backing from industry groups and some Democrats, it faces opposition from some conservatives concerned about its impact on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-administration-green-lights-putins-pipeline\/\" title=\"Biden Administration Green Lights Putin\u2019s Pipeline\">renewable energy projects<\/a>.The debate also includes provisions limiting the president&#8217;s authority to revoke permits, with lawmakers like house Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman emphasizing the need for neutral permitting reform that avoids favoring certain energy sectors.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Wright seeks &lsquo;broad-based&rsquo; reform of 55-year-old environmental law to speed permitting<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tpd-featured-video\">\n<div id=\"Brid_22530\" class=\"brid\" style=\"width:1280;height:720;\"> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Energy Secretary <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/chris-wright\/\">Chris Wright <\/a>joined the call for <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/aclk?sa=L&amp;pf=1&amp;ai=DChsSEwjwh679msCRAxXKX0cBHWU6NOYYACICCAEQABoCcXU&amp;co=1&amp;ase=2&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQiAgP_JBhD-ARIsANpEMxxbqNAakQ1KlG1wG7FgvSgT-sJBhjwPV7KUqiC9N4rFt2SU4e-jy6YaAhU8EALw_wcB&amp;cid=CAASWeRoFJNJbsSi4ptPri0TD1QTYusqwAFoHbfregYusE1IsyUIvl61TnjEo0g2d49bnUhhuxq5yCuWZq5565TFViF8V_OZYJMj4SSlDqhbcjux6SIWqKHpWvOi&amp;cce=2&amp;category=acrcp_v1_32&amp;sig=AOD64_1C0V7jlBRMm-bmcMBqzDLXqdHalA&amp;q&amp;nis=4&amp;adurl=https:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com?utm_source%3Dgoogle%26utm_medium%3Dcpc%26utm_campaign%3D22506789082%26utm_content%3D787254586702%26utm_term%3D%26gad_source%3D1%26gad_campaignid%3D22506789082%26gbraid%3D0AAAAAD8dCuwEWLI3C9SQR6xXzfqA0UfnX%26gclid%3DCj0KCQiAgP_JBhD-ARIsANpEMxxbqNAakQ1KlG1wG7FgvSgT-sJBhjwPV7KUqiC9N4rFt2SU4e-jy6YaAhU8EALw_wcB&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiblab9msCRAxXkEGIAHRvWC5kQ0Qx6BAgPEAE\">Congress<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-say-property-tax-reform-would-save-taxpayers-2b\/\" title=\"Republicans say property tax ... would save taxpayers B\">pass meaningful reforms<\/a> to the federal environmental approval process required to build energy and infrastructure projects, specifically encouraging reforms to the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/energy-and-environment\/3496664\/nepa-what-it-is-central-permitting-reform-debate\/\">National Environmental Policy Act<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Better known as NEPA, the 55-year-old law requires all federal agencies to consider and review the environmental effects of proposed projects requiring <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/energy-and-environment\/3914578\/house-gop-bills-accelerate-approvals-energy-infrastructure-projects\/\">federal permits<\/a>, including pipelines, highways, transmission lines, and much more.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/3918024\/us-90-percent-obstacles-russia-ukraine-solved-germany-talks\/\">US claims 90% of obstacles to Russia-Ukraine agreement solved in Germany talks<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3918044\/tea-taking-over-three-more-school-districts-citing-systemic-failures\/\">TEA taking over three more school districts, citing systemic failures<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3918042\/chicago-small-business-advocate-pushes-less-red-tape\/\">Chicago small business advocate pushes for less red tape<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Critics of the law have long insisted that NEPA does more harm than good by acting as red tape, opening the door for extensive legal challenges and slowing domestic infrastructure development.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Wright echoed this concern on Monday at the American Leadership in Energy Innovation Summit, calling NEPA a &ldquo;massive problem.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>He said when NEPA was passed in 1970, its primary purpose was to serve as a &ldquo;check,&rdquo; requiring projects touching federal lands or federal funds to review what the effect on the environment could be. However, he said the law is no longer used in this way.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It got turned into something completely different,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;This is a weaponization, a 10-year legal stop on anyone from building anything by suing them on NEPA. That&rsquo;s not what NEPA was about to begin with.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In recent weeks, the Trump administration has broadly endorsed efforts in Congress to pass bipartisan permitting reform without specifically backing specific bills.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin said Congress should consider any bill that results in a&nbsp; permit taking less time, costing less money, and providing more certainty.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Wright made similar comments on Monday, saying, &ldquo;I hope we can get a bipartisan permitting reform bill done that&rsquo;s broad-based, just quicker to get permits or stable to get permits easy, just lower risk to start planning to build things again.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The House is poised to vote on a permitting reform bill specifically targeting the bedrock environmental law.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This week, the House is also expected to vote on the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act, better known as <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/3893380\/bill-advances-house-lift-restrictions-energy-infrastructure-projects\/\">the SPEED Act<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Introduced by House Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR), the SPEED Act would broadly overhaul and simplify NEPA and the scope of review required for environmental analyses by removing requirements to consider or conduct new scientific or technical research.<\/p>\n<p>The bill would also mandate that federal agencies are not permitted to delay the issuance of an environmental review document or decision on the basis of waiting for new scientific research to be released.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, the SPEED Act would limit agencies&rsquo; ability to include downstream environmental effects associated with projects in a review and shorten the statute of limitations for legal challenges against projects subject to environmental reviews.<\/p>\n<p>The bill has support among oil and gas industry executives, manufacturing trade groups, and several House Democrats.<\/p>\n<p>However, a handful of House conservatives have threatened to tank the bill, saying offshore wind could benefit from the reforms, which would thwart the administration&rsquo;s crackdown on renewables.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/energy-and-environment\/3914578\/house-gop-bills-accelerate-approvals-energy-infrastructure-projects\/\">HOUSE GOP ADVANCES BILLS TO ACCELERATE APPROVALS FOR ENERGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Some members of the House Freedom Caucus have targeted an amendment included late last month that would limit the president&rsquo;s ability to revoke permits for certain projects.<\/p>\n<p>Westerman has vowed to keep the language in the bill, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/x.com\/SiegelScribe\/status\/1998501062236582357\">telling<\/a> <em>Politico<\/em> earlier this month, &ldquo;If we start picking winners and losers, I don&rsquo;t think we&rsquo;re gonna get permitting reform done.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Wright urges broad reform of 55-year-old NEPA law to speed permits<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3452,"featured_media":2521382,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0822125_CHRIS_WRIGHT-31-e1764688898263.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[38300,4762,20751,4353,25089],"class_list":["post-2521381","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-environmental-law","tag-legislation","tag-permitting","tag-reform","tag-wright"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0822125_CHRIS_WRIGHT-31-e1764688898263.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2521381","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3452"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2521381"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2521381\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2521388,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2521381\/revisions\/2521388"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2521382"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2521381"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2521381"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2521381"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}