Environmentalists Upset Over NEPA Proposals

Lynn Schenkman

Washington, D.C. -- Environmental groups are criticizing the Bush administration for changes it is proposing to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which requires federal agencies to review the environmental effects of their regulations. An attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council told news sources the administration is trying to eliminate the public-input portion of the law in order to further a pro-industry agenda. The White House’s Council on Environmental Quality is defending the recommendations, saying they will expedite the NEPA process. Meetings will be held throughout the country during the next few months, and some of the recommendations could be in place by the end of this year.