The Trump administration’s upcoming plan to speed environmental permitting won’t increase pollution or harm endangered species, said Mary B. Neumayr, the president’s top environmental adviser.
The Council on Environmental Quality, which Neumayr leads as chairman, is trying to change the rules under the National Environmental Policy Act so projects can get reviewed faster. The 2018 advance notice of the proposal said the changes would also ensure reviews are done more efficiently and effectively.
To Neumayr, a faster review is fairer to project applicants—who now must wait an average of 4 1/2 years to get a final decision—and a ...