U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL) introduced the One Federal Decision Act (OFDA) on Tuesday that would streamline permitting and environmental reviews for major infrastructure projects.
The goal of the reform legislation, Davis said, was to reduce project delays and save taxpayer dollars without reducing the effectiveness of the environmental review process. The legislation would codify President Donald Trump’s One Federal Decision Executive Order, signed in August 2017, which streamlines the permitting process for infrastructure projects. The OFDA would make that executive order permanent.
The language in the act mirrors language in the Senate Surface Transportation Reauthorization proposal approved by that body’s environment and public works committee in August 2019.
“America’s infrastructure needs are immediate and substantial. This bill will ensure that we treat major infrastructure projects like the pinnacle priority they are, not a can that we kick down the road for years on end,” said Davis, ranking member for the House Highways and Transit Subcommittee. “My constituents don’t want the roads and bridges in Illinois fixed 5 or 10 years from now, they want them done today. With this bill, we can move projects along quicker, save taxpayer dollars, create good paying jobs, and protect the environment all at the same time. We should all want a more streamlined, efficient government.”
The bill would limit the federal government to two years to finalize environmental reviews and authorizations as well as require federal agencies to develop a single permitting timetable for environmental review and authorization decisions. Additionally, the bill would require all federal authorizations and project reviews to rely on a single environmental document.
Currently, a complex highway project takes on average seven years to clear federal reviews before moving forward. Approvals for some projects, Davis said, can require input from multiple federal and state agencies, some of which can take an average of 3.7 to 5 years to complete their own environmental review. Project delays cost taxpayers $3.7 trillion in lost economic gains through jobs, efficiency, and more, Davis said.
“Approving needed infrastructure projects more efficiently can get Americans back to work sooner, and reducing delays can have the same value as a boost in infrastructure investment, ” said Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO), the ranking member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. “Ranking Member Davis’ bill is a smart reform that can help rebuild our workforce, rebuild our economy, and rebuild our country, all while continuing to effectively protect the environment. I’m proud to cosponsor his bill.”
The Association of American Railroads (AAR) President and CEO Ian Jefferies agreed.
“Delays in permitting impede the modernization of rail infrastructure, slow projects that would benefit shippers and result in unnecessarily higher costs. Railroads applaud the efforts of Representative Davis and his colleagues to preserve the quality of the environmental permitting review while taking steps to reduce the cost and length of the process,” Jefferies said in a statement.