University of Utah law professor Jamie Pleune joins Kate and Aaron on the Landscape to talk about the National Environmental Policy Act and permitting reform. Pleune and her colleagues analyzed over 40,000 Forest Service NEPA decisions to determine the mean and median time it takes to complete reviews, as well as what causes the majority of delays in permitting. She says that striving for efficient NEPA decisions is a good goal—but setting arbitrary deadlines for major projects may not be the best way to get there. 

• Overdue reform or underhanded deal? Here’s what’s in Manchin’s permitting bill. — Grist
• Manchin’s permitting overhaul: Not dead yet — E&E News
• As Congress splits over Sen. Manchin’s permitting reform bill, Utah scholars ask lawmakers to look at the data — Salt Lake Tribune

• Evidence-Based Recommendations for Improving National Environmental Policy Act Implementation
• Playing the Long Game: Expediting Permitting Without Compromising Protections

Hosts: Kate Groetzinger & Aaron Weiss

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Music: Purple Planet

Featured image: Varistor60/Wikimedia Commons

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