California Attorney General Rob Bonta submitted a comment letter opposing a U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission proposal to update its procedures for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which governs environmental reviews before federal agencies take action affecting the environment.
The NRC proposal would significantly weaken NEPA implementation by ignoring reasonably foreseeable environmental impacts, curtailing public participation in environmental reviews, and limiting consideration of alternative actions, according to Bonta. The proposal would accelerate major decisions involving nuclear energy development without adequate consideration for environmental and public health risks, he argued.
NEPA, enacted in 1969, requires federal agencies to thoroughly review environmental impacts of proposed actions and inform the public of findings before acting. NEPA provides a framework that helps identify potential problems early and reduce costly delays and conflicts, according to Bonta.
Bonta joined attorneys general from Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and Harris County, Texas, in the comment letter. The coalition asserted that the proposed rule violates the Administrative Procedure Act and NEPA by abandoning required public participation and environmental impact consideration.