RELEASE: Climate Solutions Caucus Co-Chairs’ Amendment Passes As Part of The ‘Creating Confidence in Clean Water Permitting Act’
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-06) and Congressman Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY-02), Co-Chairs of the House Climate Solutions Caucus, secured the passage of their Amendment to H.R. 7023, the Creating Confidence in Clean Water Permitting Act. The Amendment, which was agreed upon unanimously in the House, would require a report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) on the staffing needs for processing and issuing permits under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, also known as the Clean Water Act. This report would aid in determining what is necessary for expediting EPA and USACE permits, both of which presently affect the speed at which affected infrastructure and clean water projects can be processed. Caucus Members Representatives David Valadao (R-CA-22) and Mike Lawler (R-NY-17) also cosponsored the Amendment.
“Every day that permits are not issued, time, jobs, and the potential vitality of projects are lost. The EPA and Army Corps have a responsibility to meet their regulatory permitting deadlines so that we can get shovels in the ground and projects online. That’s why I authored this straightforward and bipartisan amendment to help us better understand how staffing shortfalls are impacting permitting timelines. As Co-Chair of the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus, I was excited to offer this amendment alongside my Republican Co-Chair, Andrew Garbarino, and Caucus Members David Valadao and Mike Lawler, and see it pass unanimously,” said Rep. Houlahan.
“Safeguarding Long Island’s shoreline is crucial, but too often the execution of vital infrastructure projects are delayed due to long processing times,” said Rep. Garbarino. “Time is of the essence when it comes to erosion, storm mitigation, and clean water projects. By requiring the EPA and the USACE to provide a report to Congress on staffing needs for processing and issuing permits, we will be able to identify how the permitting process can be improved and expedited for pending infrastructure projects. I gladly joined my Climate Solutions Caucus Co-Chair, Congresswoman Houlahan, in offering this Amendment and I was pleased to see its passage in the House.”
The full text of the Amendment can be found here and Rep. Houlahan’s floor remarks on the Amendment can be seen here. Specifically, it requires the EPA and the USACE to issue a report on their staffing needs to process and issue permits under the Clean Water Act based on data over the last 5 years and for the agencies to cite the impact that funding for additional full-time employees would have on processing timelines.
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