A bipartisan pair of lawmakers introduced legislation Thursday with the support of environmentalists to expand a process for streamlining permitting of major projects.
The “Expanding the Fast Track Act,” from Reps. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.) and Jeff Crank (R-Colo.), would broaden the scope of projects that are eligible for accelerated environmental reviews via the federal Permitting Council.
Currently covered projects — which include renewables, fossil fuels and mining— have a 23 percent shorter permitting timeline to others similar in scope, said the lawmakers.
The Permitting Council — created in 2015 in a highway package and expanded years later — helps projects worth $200 million or more navigate an array of federal agencies. This bill would allow projects that cost $50 million or more to qualify.
