Today, Ranking Republican Rob Bishop (R-Utah) released the following statement on the newly submitted draft greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions guidance by the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ).

 “The new draft guidance is a needed step to limit excessive litigation exposure and provide clarity and consistency as federal agencies conduct environmental reviews. The Trump administration has gone above and beyond to mitigate executive overreach and clean-up the regulatory mess left behind by the last administration. This latest action from CEQ is another reminder that this important work must continue.”

Background:

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires Federal agencies to consider the environmental impacts of proposed major Federal actions under NEPA.

CEQ’s draft guidance seeks to assist Federal agencies in their consideration of GHG emissions when evaluating proposed Federal actions in accordance with NEPA, and to facilitate more timely environmental reviews and permitting decisions for infrastructure projects requiring Federal agency approvals.

The guidance will be formally submitted to the Federal Register, opening a 30 day public comment period.