Trump’s infrastructure proposal shuts public out and could harm the environment

President Trump called for short-cutting the approval process for national infrastructure investment projects in ways that could weaken environmental review and public transparency requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Supported by a bipartisan majority and signed by President Nixon back in 1970, NEPA protects our health, homes, and environment by engaging Americans in projects that affect their communities. Despite NEPA’s many successes, opponents scapegoat environmental reviews as the cause of a project’s delay or expense. Any major infrastructure project, however, must include robust public participation—from start to finish. As the impacts of climate change and extreme weather increasingly threaten our roads, bridges, and dams, listening to the affected communities is more important than ever. Public dollars should be spent on the public good.