Priorities Clash at First Environmental Permitting Rule Meeting

Business groups warned the White House on Tuesday that its plan to change the nation’s environmental permitting rules will bind up projects in red tape and jeopardize the administration’s infrastructure and clean energy goals.

But their voices were countered by several environmental groups, which encouraged the Council on Environmental Quality not only to press ahead but also to move faster and make even more changes.

The comments came during the first of two scheduled public meetings to help CEQ finalize its proposed rules. Federal agencies can be hit with lawsuits if they fail to do a thorough job considering ...