The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) took its first step on Wednesday to pursue the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Assignment. The assignment was mandated by law in the SCDOT Modernization Act that gave the department the authority to pursue a NEPA Assignment as a means to accelerate project delivery.
“The SCDOT Modernization Act positions South Carolina to take greater control of delivering critical infrastructure projects more efficiently, while also allowing South Carolinians to consider protecting what makes South Carolina so special and unique,” South Carolina Secretary of Transportation Justin Powell said.
The federal Surface Transportation Project Delivery Program allows the U.S. secretary of transportation to assign, and for a state to assume, the secretary’s responsibilities under NEPA for one or more highway, railroad, public transportation, and/or multimodal project to reduce review times and costs and move projects from planning to construction faster.
The program allows states to assume the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) environmental review responsibilities while decisions are still held to the same environmental standards and requirements. SCDOT is requesting authority to assume FHWA’s responsibilities under NEPA, the National Historic Preservation Act and the Federal Endangered Species Act to eliminate the need for FHWA approval for each step of project development.