Senators on Wednesday pressed Fish and Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams to improve the consultations required for many important federal permits and projects.
Citing concerns voiced by mining industry leaders and others, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) voiced frustration at the Senate Environment and Public Work Committee hearing about how sluggish consultations required by the Endangered Species Act and other laws can complicate business.
“Effective communication and time frames on consultations have only marginally improved,” said Capito, the committee’s ranking GOP member.
Capito added that “our state’s department of highways has faced delays on road and bridge projects and our state’s [Department of Environmental Protection] has dealt with delays on active mining permits, and on projects to remediate abandoned mine sites.”
