First Look at CEQ’s Permitting Technology Action Plan
blogs, restoration, technology Boon Sheridan blogs, restoration, technology Boon Sheridan

First Look at CEQ’s Permitting Technology Action Plan

This blog is a first look at the Council on Environmental Quality’s (CEQ) Permitting Technology Action Plan, which aims to modernize federal permitting processes. The plan includes data standards for interoperability between agencies, service delivery standards for workflow automation and digital documents, and a maturity model for agencies to gauge their progress. Key highlights include implementing data standards, improving document management, and using GitHub for open collaboration. We note the potential for multi-agency procurement and prize competitions and outline potential impacts for agencies, applicants, and vendors. We express cautious optimism due to the plan's technical depth, interoperability focus, and use of existing work but also note concerns about talent gaps and the aggressive initial 90-day implementation timeline.

Read More
Comments Regarding the Council on Environmental Quality’s Removal of National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Regulations
public comments, restoration, technology Environmental Policy Innovation Center public comments, restoration, technology Environmental Policy Innovation Center

Comments Regarding the Council on Environmental Quality’s Removal of National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Regulations

EPIC submitted public comments opposing the wholesale removal of NEPA regulations by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), arguing it would create confusion and increase litigation risk. Instead, we proposed modernizing the NEPA process through our Smart Permitting Agenda, which includes implementing clear timelines, developing programmatic reviews, creating user-friendly e-permitting systems, and establishing expedited pathways for ecological restoration. We believe an updated regulatory framework can maintain NEPA's original intent while delivering faster results and ensuring meaningful community input.

Read More
10 Fundamentals for Smart Permitting
technology, restoration, blogs Danielle Bissett technology, restoration, blogs Danielle Bissett

10 Fundamentals for Smart Permitting

The Trump-Vance Administration is excited about permitting reform, so are we! And, to get there, we want to see smart permitting. Efficient and effective permitting should be about getting to “yes” or “no” on projects faster—and we know there are hundreds of ways to do that without minimizing scientific rigor, transparency, and public participation. We’ve researched dozens of federal and state policies and technologies that have sped up permitting. Here we synthesize our 10 fundamental recommendations for improving the environmental review and permitting process.

Read More
Reimagining Permitting Processes: A Case Study of Virginia’s Permitting Enhancement and Evaluation Platform
Environmental Policy Innovation Center Environmental Policy Innovation Center

Reimagining Permitting Processes: A Case Study of Virginia’s Permitting Enhancement and Evaluation Platform

At the Environmental Policy Innovation Center (EPIC), our goal is to advance ecological restoration at scale, yet permitting costs consume up to ⅓ of project budgets. We need money to go to nature, not paperwork. Over the past two years, EPIC has quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed policies and processes related to restoration project permitting. Here we provide a case study of adoption of e-permitting technology that ameliorated many permitting bottlenecks.

Read More