Trump moves to exempt big projects from environmental review
(SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
"Since Day one, my administration has made fixing this regulatory nightmare a top priority."
The Trump administration on Thursday unveiled a sweeping plan to speed up approval for major infrastructure projects by re-writing regulations meant to protect the environment.
The proposal marks the first overhaul in four decades of the National Environmental Policy Act - a law aimed at ensuring the government protects the environment when reviewing or making decisions about major projects…
(SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
"We want to build new roads, bridges and highways - bigger better and faster."
The proposal would put one federal agency in charge of overseeing the review process… It's part of a larger effort by President Donald Trump to cut regulatory red tape as industry groups complain about bureaucratic delays that stall projects…
But environmental groups warn that the plan would remove a powerful tool to protect against climate change, and one that communities use to have a say about the projects built their neighborhoods.
(SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
"I want clean air and clean water. I also want jobs, though."
The proposed rule would mean federal agencies would not need to factor in the "cumulative impacts" of a project, making it easier for major fossil fuel projects to sail through the approval process and avoid legal challenges.
It would also set a two-year deadline for environmental impact studies and a one-year deadline for environmental assessments.
