CEI releases a broad-based permitting reform blueprint to remove unnecessary and unreasonable obstacles for projects across the economy.

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Today, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, having worked closely with many outside experts, released a new report, detailing a series of comprehensive recommendations for environmental permitting reform.

The report, “Permitting Reform for a Freer and More Prosperous Nation”, argues that lawmakers should remove numerous governmental obstacles for projects and protect the ability of everyday Americans to use their private property. “America has vast reserves of energy and minerals but is not making full use of those efficient to develop,” CEI Director of the Center for Energy and Environment and Senior Fellow Daren Bakst says. “We possess the know-how to efficiently and effectively develop major projects yet critical infrastructure necessary to meet basic needs, such as for electricity and water, are often unreasonably delayed.”  There is some good news though according to Bakst, “Fortunately, federal lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are starting to appreciate the problems with permitting and are pushing for bipartisan reforms in Congress.

Key policy recommendations outlined in the report reflect a recognition that permitting reforms are needed for numerous federal environmental statutes. While permitting reform often focuses on the National Environmental Policy Act, other statutes such as the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act, are likely more important to address. In general, reforms should:

  • Be broad-based, applying across projects and industries and covering numerous statutes;
  • Establish clear, objective, and predictable standards;
  • Ensure alleged harms from a proposed project are legitimate;
  • Remove policies that undermine basic notions of fairness;  
  • Respect private property rights and;
  • Stop prioritizing environmental concerns over human welfare.

“Most federal permitting programs are more than 50 years old, and the process has expanded well beyond the original intent. Laudable goals, such as avoiding damage to the environment or to historic sites, have been misused to obstruct projects whose benefits far outweigh any real risks. Our leaders should eliminate the abuses and remove the obstacles that make infrastructure development and the ordinary use of private property more difficult,” Daren Bakst says. “This report can serve as a blueprint for legislators who want to take common sense steps to improve federal permitting and as a result improve the well-being of Americans and their communities.”

Read “Permitting Reform for a Freer and More Prosperous Nation” on CEI.org.

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