We all know infrastructure projects like roads, dams and bridges, are important to keep our New Mexico communities and businesses strong, but we want to ensure they're done right without wasting taxpayer dollars, polluting rivers and streams or harming historic artifacts.
Since 1970, the National Environmental Protection Act has helped us strike that balance. The process can be improved, however, and that's what we discussed in a Senate Environment & Public Works Committee hearing this week, held at my request.
NEPA was created to ensure the environmental consequences of federal projects are fully evaluated before decisions are made, saving taxpayer dollars and preventing waste. It also makes sure that the public has a voice in decisions that affect the health, safety and economic well-being of millions of Americans.
Legitimate concerns have been raised about whether NEPA is working as effectively as it could, and there have been efforts to roll back some of NEPA's provisions in order to help streamline the process for approving federal projects. I pushed for a hearing about it because I want to make sure we're making thoughtful, careful decisions.
I'm eager to work with my colleagues in both parties to find solutions. We must continue making sure the NEPA process is followed correctly but also work to move infrastructure development forward in a way that will truly increase efficiencies and promote smarter projects.
