The U.S. Senate committee chaired by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., held a hearing Wednesday on reforming the federal permitting process.
Capito, in her opening remarks to the hearing hosted by the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, spoke about the goal of modernizing the federal environmental review and permitting processes.
“For too long, critical projects such as energy and infrastructure projects, along with industrial projects as well, have been trapped in a cycle of redundant reviews, shifting goal posts and regulatory uncertainty,” she said. “In my home state of West Virginia, I’ve seen firsthand how these drive up costs — these delays — not just for the projects, but for the American families who are paying for more energy, housing and food as a result.”
Capito, along with former Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., have supported numerous attempts in recent years to overhaul the permitting process.
The delegation’s efforts to pass legislation reforming the process have taken various forms over the past two years — as standalone bills, as deals with the White House and as part of larger legislative packages — but all have included reining in project timelines and limiting legal challenges against projects.
Capito, in her remarks Wednesday, said the lack of clarity from Congress on permitting has allowed unfair and costly delays to projects.
“In the absence of congressional action, certain parties have found creative ways to use the judicial process to delay, remand or strike down projects and raise costs to discourage project sponsors from moving forward,” she said. “As a result, environmental review and permitting processes have increased costs and delayed or stopped projects, including projects that would help achieve the goals in our environmental laws.”
Capito said she hopes the Environment and Public Works Committee can produce a bill that will garner bipartisan support.
“Durable and implementable environmental review and permitting process reform must be bipartisan to be successful,” she said.
“My guiding principles for this effort are straightforward. The legislation that we develop must help all types of projects, not just politically favored projects or projects that will support the infrastructure needs of some Americans but not others. We must provide clarity and transparency in the processes,” Capito said.
Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., who took Manchin’s seat and now serves on the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, has also pledged to support permitting reform efforts.
“I’m going to carry the banner as strong as I can possibly carry it — that’s for absolute dadgum sure,” he said.