Environmental Impact Review
NYSDEC Adopts Amended State Environmental Quality Review Act Regulations
By: Nathaniel Eisen On June 27, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (“NYSDEC”) adopted the first major revisions to its regulations implementing the State Environmental Quality Review Act (“SEQRA”) in over 20 years. The amendments, which are the culmination of more than six years of outreach, drafting, and revisions, will take effect January…
White House Invites Public Comment on Possible Changes to NEPA Procedures
By: Eric Stern On June 20, 2018, the Council on Environmental Quality (“CEQ”) published a (the “Notice”) that it is considering updates to the regulations governing environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”). The Notice does not propose any specific changes. Rather, it broadly solicits comments from the public on “potential revisions to…
Federal Agencies Commit to Streamlining Environmental Reviews for Major Infrastructure Projects
On April 9, 2018, the heads of 12 federal agencies signed a memorandum of understanding (“MOU”) that aims to streamline and shorten federal environmental and permitting reviews for major infrastructure projects. The MOU implements President Trump’s One Federal Decision (“OFD”) policy established in Executive Order 13807 (“EO 13807”), signed on August 15, 2017 and described…
Trump White House Infrastructure Plan Includes Proposals to Streamline Permitting Processes
Last month, the White House released its “Legislative Outline for Rebuilding Infrastructure in America” (the “Infrastructure Plan” or “Plan”), which contains a wide range of proposals for facilitating the construction of infrastructure projects. In addition to financial incentives and investment programs, the Infrastructure Plan proposes a series of changes in federal permitting and environmental review…
New York Court Denies Challenge to Affordable and Market-Rate Residential Development Bordering Brooklyn Bridge Park
By: Jonathan Kalmuss-Katz On February 15, 2018, a New York State Supreme Court Justice dismissed a challenge to the development of two residential buildings upland from Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park (the “Pier 6 Development”), affirming the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation’s (“BBP”) approval of a project that will generate necessary revenues for the Park’s…
New Executive Order Curbs Environmental Review and Permitting Process for Infrastructure
On August 15th, 2017, President Trump issued an Executive Order intended to hasten the approval of infrastructure projects by streamlining and reducing the duration of the environmental review and permitting process. The Order – which applies to transportation, energy production and transmission, broadband internet, water treatment, and other infrastructure projects – authorizes the White House…