This week, the Biden administration released guidance on implementing their permitting action plan. This is the latest step in the administration’s roadmap for strengthening and accelerating federal permitting processes by leveraging existing permitting authorities as well as new provisions in the Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act. After the release of the guidance, Earthjustice Healthy Communities Legislative Director Raúl Garcia issued the following statement:

“We are pleased to see the Biden administration take concrete actions on permitting so that we can quickly build the clean energy infrastructure we urgently need in a just and equitable way. Overall, it seeks inclusive and effective permitting processes that work with — and not against — environmental law protections. While we remain concerned about efforts seeking to use ‘permitting reform’ as a decoy to gut community and environmental protections, we are encouraged that the administration is taking this seriously and using its current authorities to move the clean energy transition forward. We encourage the administration to continue on this path and forgo false-solutions and harmful legislative proposals that would continue to sacrifice our communities. We will continue working with the Biden Administration and our allies in Congress to ensure that the voices of frontline communities are consulted and reflected throughout the entire project development process while fighting congressional efforts to silence them.”