Defenders Slams SPEED Act as it Speeds Toward Habitat Destruction

Defenders of Wildlife condemns Rep. Bruce Westerman’s (R-AR) SPEED Act, H.R. 4776 the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act, ahead of Thursday’s expected floor vote in the U.S. House of Representatives. Westerman’s permitting bill would further amend the National Environmental Policy Act, weakening the review process that identifies and assesses potential environmental concerns before federal projects are implemented.    

“Proponents of this legislation are attempting to circumvent NEPA and are cutting science, community input and judicial review out of the environmental review process, claiming that dismantling the current process will increase America’s energy supply,” said Chris Westfall, senior government relations legislative counsel for Defenders of Wildlife. “Proposed changes threaten to devastate hundreds of millions of acres of public lands critical for wildlife survival. Congress instead should prioritize modernizing the process without compromising the significance of a thorough review.”  

Currently under NEPA, federal agencies must examine possible environmental impacts of proposed actions and ensure the public is informed throughout the decision-making process.

“A vote for the amended SPEED Act is rushing in the wrong direction, and Defenders calls on Congress to reconsider the long-term destruction of our nation’s cherished lands and critical ecosystems that this bill would cause if it moves forward,” Westfall said.  

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