Promoting Efficient Review for Modern Infrastructure Today Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. GRAVES. 3898.

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Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chair, I am proud to rise in support of H.R. 3898, the Promoting Efficient Review for Modern Infrastructure Today Act, or the PERMIT Act, which will make permitting processes under the Clean Water Act more efficient, consistent, and transparent while continuing to protect our Nation's water quality.

Our Clean Water Act permitting regime is broken.

When it takes up to 18 months to receive a permit under just the Clean Water Act to build a pipeline, dam, road, pond, or home, something is simply wrong.

When wastewater utilities are being sued by radical environmentalists because the EPA didn't give them a permit they could trust, something is wrong.

When one State can weaponize the Clean Water Act to stop a pipeline that would allow citizens in other States to move off heating oil in the winter to a cheaper and more reliable source of energy, for reasons not remotely related to water quality, something is wrong.

When the Federal Government is allowed to write water quality standards that no one can afford without passing on costs to the ratepayers, or for which the technology to achieve such standards isn't even available in this country, something is wrong.

I believe that regulations should be simple to understand, achievable, and easy to follow. Good process often leads to good decisionmaking, more consistent outcomes, and prosperity, and that is what this bill seeks to achieve.

The partnership between the private sector, States, and the Federal Government envisioned by the Clean Water Act has worked to improve water quality nationwide. This is a very good thing. We all share the goal of achieving clean water. However, 50 years after its passage, the Clean Water Act needs modernization. It is just as simple as that.

This bill makes commonsense reforms, such as clarifying the section 401 process to stop it from being weaponized; codifying longstanding, bipartisan exemptions from the definition of waters of the United States; placing clear timelines on judicial review for permits; and increasing transparency in the development of water quality standards.

It also directs the Corps to eliminate the backlog of outstanding section 404 permit applications and jurisdictional determinations and eliminate duplicative and unnecessary permitting processes for areas such as pesticides, aerial fire-retardant use, and so much more.

The bottom line is that without reforming the Clean Water Act, America cannot efficiently build roads, bridges, pipelines, ponds, dams, levees, airports, homes, farms, and other infrastructure that we need.

This bill acknowledges that we can both protect our natural resources and allow for development that benefits everyone in this country. Because of this, H.R. 3898 enjoys support from a wide range of stakeholders, from water utilities to energy developers, the construction industry, farmers, and Main Street businesses.

I urge my colleagues who support commonsense solutions to vote in favor of H.R. 3898.

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Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins), the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee chair and the bill's sponsor.

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Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Chairman, before I yield, I would like to point out that in the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, we can disagree, oppose, debate, and we remain friends both within our parties and across the aisle. I am proud of the committee for that, both the minority and the majority side. In fact, I am very proud of that aspect.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Owens).

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Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Burlison).

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Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa), who is the Western Caucus chairman.

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Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Chair, may I inquire as to the time remaining.

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Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Taylor).

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Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Shreve).

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Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Stauber).

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Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Patronis).

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Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Hurd).

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Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Rouzer), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.

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Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Chairman, in closing, H.R. 3898 is critical to achieving more efficient, predictable, and useful permitting for many important projects by streamlining and improving the Clean Water Act's permitting process.

As has been stated, H.R. 3898 will support everyday Americans in every district across this Nation by making commonsense reforms to the Clean Water Act, unleashing America's ability to increase transparency in the development of water quality standards.

It also directs the Corps to eliminate the backlog of outstanding section 404 permit applications and jurisdictional determinations, eliminates duplicative, unnecessary permitting processes for areas such as pesticide in aerial fire retardant use, and so much more.

The bottom line is, we cannot effectively build roads, bridges, pipelines, ports, dams, levies, airports, homes, farms, and many, many other important infrastructure projects.

This bill is a product of hard work by many members of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. In particular, I thank Representatives Rick Crawford, David Rouzer, Doug LaMalfa, Pete Stauber, Dusty Johnson, Burgess Owens, Eric Burlison, Jeff Hurd, Jefferson Shreve, Dave Taylor, and Jimmy Patronis, who all contributed provisions to this bill.

I especially thank the chairman of the subcommittee, Mike Collins, for working with me on this. He has shown extraordinary leadership in developing this very important issue. I do thank the gentlewoman from Michigan for her friendship in this process, and I would urge support for the bill.

Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

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