Last Wednesday, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure approved an airport “streamlining” bill sponsored by committee chair Don Young of Alaska.  The bill, the Airport Streamlining Approval Process Act (ASAP) would severely weaken the environmental review process for airport infrastructure projects (MTR #357).

Proponents of “environmental streamlining” have blamed environmental opposition for the slow pace of infrastructure projects.  Now, bill sponsors are also using passenger delays seen recently at U.S. airports – after security was drastically beefed up – as an excuse to rush airport expansion projects through the review processes.

The airport bill may be just the tip of a streamlining iceberg.  Representative Young has also drafted a bill that would similarly reduce environmental and historical impact reviews for all surface transportation projects, which may be introduced next month.  Bills to curtail input and discussion regarding construction on military bases and energy delivery infrastructure, such as pipelines and transmission lines, are also in the works.

Seven environmental and transportation groups, including the Campaign, wrote to Rep. Young and Senate Transportation Chair James Oberstar last Tuesday, opposing the airport bill. “[The bill] greatly undermines the ability of state, regional or local authorities and affected communities to cooperate in designing projects that balance the interests of all parties and incorporate appropriate mitigation strategies.  ASAP hands over this decision making process to federal transportation bureaucrats...We strenuously oppose attempts to expedite airport expansion by limiting or eliminating environmental safeguards or the public review process,” said the letter.

Text of H.R. 4481

House Committee press release

"Streamlining" or Steamrolling?  House Transportation Chair Pushes Radical Bill (March 18, 2002)

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