Bilirakis Introduces Legislation to Modernize Army Corps of Engineers' Permitting Process

"The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Clean Water Act (CWA) guide the Corps' actions to protect our nation's waterways, but the permitting process has led to unnecessary and costly delays that do not balance public safety needs against appropriate environmental protections," said Bilirakis. "Under current law, lawsuits against critical infrastructure projects can be filed for the cost of a postage stamp. With local governments struggling to allocate scarce taxpayer dollars for badly needed public safety projects, we must ensure the federal government properly balances public safety and environmental concerns."

The Public Infrastructure Modernization Act would streamline the application process for CWA permits submitted by local governments for flood control projects and evacuation routes by creating a firm timeframe under which the Corps must complete review of these projects. It would also implement an appeals process when the Agency fails to complete consideration of these projects under the provided timeframe. In addition, it caps mitigation costs to no more than 20 percent of the project's total cost to ensure responsible use of taxpayer dollars. Finally, this legislation does not waive NEPA and protects practical environmental review.

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