摘要: |
This week's issue features a U.S. senator complaining about the length of time it is taking the Corps of Engineers to approve a permit for a Nucor steel mill in her state that will provide hundreds of jobs (and considerable barge traffic) once opened. Nucor admitted that the federal permit process is taking longer than anticipated; state permits have all been obtained. The new plant is similar to an existing one, so the senator is wondering what the holdup is. A report last September by the Brookings Institution noted, "There are many obstacles to the rapid deployment of [green] infrastructure, but one key obstacle at the center of much debate is the federal permit process" and concluded, "[T]here is a clear and evident need to proceed with ambitious reform of the nation's energy infrastructure permit system." |