Fedorchak emphasizes support for SPEED Act

Washington, D.C. - Ahead of today's scheduled Floor vote, Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak (R-ND) released the following statement in support of the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act. The SPEED Actis bipartisan legislation to reform the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and rein in the endless delays and lawsuits that have stalled critical infrastructure, energy, and conservation projects across the country.

"NEPA was designed to inform decisions, not paralyze them. But over time, it's been stretched far beyond its original purpose-leading to duplicative reviews, unclear timelines, and litigation that drags on for years with no added environmental benefit," Fedorchak said. "The SPEED Act restores discipline to the process by clarifying when NEPA applies, allowing agencies to rely on existing analyses, and setting firm limits on judicial review."

"Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman has persistently led this bipartisan legislation. It follows last week's PERMIT Act reforms of the Clean Water Act and advances our vital work to create legal and regulatory certainty," Fedorchak continued. "Once passed by the Senate, these measures will spur massive domestic investment in the critical infrastructure needed to support conservation, energy development, affordability, domestic manufacturing, and national security."

BACKGROUND:

NEPA is a procedural statute that established parameters for assessing the environmental impacts of all major federal actions, including but not limited to, the construction of critical infrastructure such as roads, bridges, highways, ports, irrigation systems, forest management, transmission lines, energy projects, broadband, and water infrastructure.

Originally intended to maintain a balance between protecting the environment and economic development, the NEPA process has become increasingly complex, resulting in massive NEPA documents approaching thousands of pages, protracted project timelines, and litigation.

The SPEED Actbuilds on the NEPA reforms passed in the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023. Itsimplifies the analysis required in NEPA documents so that agencies are not stuck studying never-ending topics without ever reaching a conclusion. The bill also clarifies when NEPA is triggered by focusing the definition of "Major Federal Action" and allows agencies to rely on previously completed NEPA documents for projects. Lastly, the bill establishes judicial review limitations for NEPA claims, including a 150-day deadline for filing claims, and eliminates vacatur and injunction as remedies available to courts.

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