The Council On Environmental Quality Updates NEPA Regulations

Final Rule Aims to Expedite the Environmental Review of Projects Requiring Federal Permits or Funding

Highlights

• The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) published a final rule in the Federal Register on July 16, 2020, updating its regulations for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
• The revised regulations – the first significant update in more than 40 years – are intended to streamline environmental review of federally approved or funded projects, and to effectuate previous Executive Orders of the Trump Administration that sought the same.
• The amended regulations may prove to be successful in producing quicker, more concise Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) – but environmental documents produced under the new regime will need to withstand scrutiny and potential legal challenges from project opponents.