NEPAReform: Real-World Perspectives on Streamlined Schedules, Less Expensive Processes, and More Concise DocumentsBrian Boose, Jennifer Warf, Diane Cowin, Anne Baldrige, Edward Morrison, and Maria FranksWednesday, May 22 About the SessionA strong case can be made that the NEPA process, specifically the EIS development process, in current practice, takes too long, costs too much, and often produces overly lengthy documentation. Many practitioners are quick to identify a litany of justified reasons why the NEPA process for many projects takes a longer time, costs more than originally anticipated, and results in longer documents than originally intended. As such, there is a critical difference between the law’s general goals and the current reality at the project-specific level This chasm will be explored during the session and we will suggest some bridges that might be most suitable for each of the critical components: time, cost, and length of documents. We will review NEPA “success stories” and real-time measures that can and have been used to achieve efficiencies in the NEPA process. The presentations within this session will address streamlining, using real-world examples, and suggest methods that meet the multiple and competing objectives associated with the NEPA process while reducing time, cost, and document size. About the Presenters
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