Posted by findingDulcinea staff
The Department of the Interior announced Monday a plan to lessen federal oversight of construction projects that critics say could harm endangered species and plants.
The proposal would decrease the number of independent reviews conducted by government scientists on projects such as highways and dams. It would also ban federal agencies from analyzing greenhouse gas emissions from projects that could affect environment, according to MSNBC.
The office of Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne said in a press release that the changes consist of "common-sense modifications" to the Endangered Species Act. "These changes are designed to reduce the number of unnecessary consultations under the ESA so that more time and resources can be devoted to the protection of the most vulnerable species," the Interior Department said in its announcement.
Developers applauded the plan, saying that the current ESA process is too time-consuming and expensive. "We have always had concerns with respect to the need for streamlining and making it a more efficient process," said Joe Nelson, a lawyer for the National Endangered Species Act Reform Coalition, a trade group for homebuilders and the paper and farming industry, according to MSNBC.
But environmentalists say that the move is just another attempt by the Bush administration to decrease environmental regulation in general. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, told MSNBC that "This proposed regulation is another in a continuing stream of proposals to repeal our landmark environmental laws through the back door."
The Environment News Service reported that the plan proposes "sweeping changes" to the ESA. "With these changes, the Bush administration threatens to undo more than 30 years of progress," said John Kostyack, an official with the National Wildlife Federation.
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