The National Coalition to Defend NEPA, a 42-state, 13l-group grassroots coalition, won a major victory this week when the U.S. Senate changed language in its ISTEA reauthorization bill that was damaging to environmental review of transportation projects. In 1997, both the House and Senate adopted language in their proposed bills to "streamline" the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) as it applies to highway projects. The NEPA streamlining language would have ensured speedy delivery of highway expansion projects with only limited public scrutiny and input and without evaluation of demand management alternatives.

In last-minute negotiations between the Coalition and Senators, assisted considerably by NJ's Senator Frank Lautenberg, the Coalition won major concessions. The Senate agreed to revise language that would have mandated permit applications and reviews by federal, state and local environmental agencies concurrent with performance of project impact statements. Currently, the environmental impact review procedure must be completed before permits can be applied for.

Instead, the Senate will advance streamlining that will avoid redundancies in data collection and analysis, but does not lock agencies in to particular projects before review of project impacts and alternatives. The Senate also agreed to insert more language guaranteeing public participation in the project review process. Positive language was also inserted assuring early consideration of alternatives, including transportation demand management alternatives (although that was linked to the "congestion management system" part of ISTEA). Speaking in favor of the amendments on the Senate floor, Lautenberg, whose staff brokered the deal along with Senator John Chafee's Environment and Public Works Committee committee staff, said, "Advance buy-in from public agencies would have undercut the public's right to participate in decisions that most profoundly shape our communities and the public health." The amendment passed by voice vote on Thursday.

Streamlining proponents Senators Graham (FLA), Wyden (OR) and Smith (NH) agreed to the new language after the Coalition mobilized grassroots and state-level groups across the country, especially in their home states. The coalition will now look to the damaging amendments in the House's ISTEA bill.

The National Coalition to Defend NEPA was launched by the Tri-State Transportation Campaign.