Attorneys general from 20 Republican-led states are suing the Biden administration over reforms passed in April meant to streamline analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act, U.S. News reported.
The NEPA is an environmental law that calls for federal agencies to review the environmental effects of proposed projects that receive federal funding or permits before moving forward.
The Republican states, including Texas and Florida, argue that the reforms would increase the cost of projects and unfairly favor clean energy work.
While the White House Council on Environmental Quality said that the reforms are consistent with their legal authority, the states argue the opposite.
The states believe the reforms will cause bureaucratic roadblocks for major projects like fossil fuel power plants and transmission lines for electric power systems "by forcing social, environmental, and race-based regulations on developers," the states explained in a statement.
They're also concerned about project delays, claiming that the new regulations would call for additional considerations regarding a project's environmental impacts, including climate change and environmental justice.
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In 2022, the Biden administration began restoring key components of the NEPA that had previously been removed by the Trump administration, according to an article by Reuters. These changes required federal agencies to consider climate change impacts and assess the effects of projects in communities that already struggled with air and water pollution.
"Restoring these basic community safeguards will provide regulatory certainty, reduce conflict, and help ensure that projects get built right the first time," said CEQ Chair Brenda Mallory.
Environment-conscious projects and policies, like the NEPA and the new reforms, aim to help us all reach a safer and cleaner future. Some of these policies, such as those proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency, can create thousands of jobs, and other similar policies work to ensure better health for children and adults by addressing pollution.
In addition to creating jobs and addressing health concerns, policies that call for examining environmental effects can also help our planet while continuing progress for development projects.
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