Gibbons to work on environment task force

Suzanne Struglinski

Thursday, April 7, 2005 | 9:45 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., will participate in a House task force looking to improve the National Environmental Policy Act.

Since 1970, the law, commonly known as NEPA, requires federal agencies to complete environmental studies on proposed federal projects before they can be approved or receive a permit on public land.

"Too often NEPA results in litigation that can last decades," Gibbons said. "This task force will simply go out to the communities around the country affected by NEPA to see how well it is working and what improvements may be needed to meet our nation's goals of protecting the environment in the 21st century."

Nevada is suing the Energy Department under NEPA for its plans to build a rail line to bring nuclear waste to the proposed storage site at Yucca Mountain. The state claims the department did not follow the law by failing to do an environmental analysis before selecting a route through Caliente.

House Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo, R-Calif., announced the task force's creation today. The 20-member task force, made up of 11 Republicans and nine Democrats, will hold field hearings throughout the country to hear testimony from people on their experiences with NEPA requirements. The task force will issues a report to Pombo.

Gibbons will work to get a field hearing in Nevada, his spokeswoman said.

"Our ultimate goal is to improve our environmental laws," Gibbons said. "We need to ensure we protect our environment and assure clean water and clean air in an expeditious manner."

House Resources Committee Democrats have not selected their members to the task force yet.